Minnesota State colleges and universities waiving application fee this week

Minnesota State colleges and universities are using this week to boost applications by waiving application fees.

The college application process can get overwhelming. Gregory Williams was homeschooled before starting at Century College two years ago. 

“Being homeschooled, I was kind of like oblivious on how I would be able to get in,” said Williams.

Now that he's attending college, Williams is still deciding between mechanical and computer engineering - a field, that's interesting more students every year. 

“We're definitely seeing in careers in technical education programs, due to the workforce needs in our state and so we're seeing a lot more interest in our schools and sort of helping students explore those pathways,” said Minnesota State Director of College Transitions Jessica Espinosa.

To get more students on board, Minnesota State is waiving application fees all week long for its schools. Application fees typically range from $10 to $20, which can make all the difference for students still exploring all of their options. Last year, more than 40,000 students applied just during the month of October. 

“This is a great time to just do that exploration and begin to apply and not have to worry about paying a fee and find out more,” said Espinosa. “Once you've applied you will definitely receive more information from the campuses you expressed interest in.” 

The goal is that by dropping those fees, more students will apply so more students will be able to come to college and pursue their dreams. 

“They did a really great job putting me where I was, putting me in the right classes and getting me on the right track for what I'm actually going for,” said Williams. “It was a great beginning.”

Some schools are waiving fees beyond this week and through the end of the month. For a list of schools, click here.