SAN ANTONIO – A new Texas law passed during the 80th Texas Legislature has expedited the college application process for one week in October.
Senate Bill 2231 waives application fees for all public colleges and universities for Texas residents.
The law states Oct. 13-19 will be Free College Application Week.
“A lot of people don’t do the application process, which is honestly just going onto a website like Apply Texas and getting started from there, putting in your personal information. A lot of it may feel like brand new to people who have never done it before, but also, in general, it’s a scary thing if you don’t know how to get something started,” said Aide Garcia, program coordinator for Cafe College.
Students must apply online through Apply Texas and have their fees waived, which typically range from $50 to $90 per school.
“I think it’s gonna just take away a whole barrier for (students) knowing that, ‘Hey, I don’t have to pay like maybe $300 to $400 on applying to all the schools I wanna apply to,” Garcia said. “I get this whole week where I get to pick and choose and apply to as many as I can. I think it takes off or alleviates a lot of stress from them, too.”
Cafe College, a nonprofit organization in San Antonio, specializes in helping students apply to colleges and scholarships. Advisors are available from Tuesday to Saturday, with no appointment needed, to walk in and receive help with any materials.
“We see a lot of students see the price, and just the idea of having to spend so much money on college really just deflects them from attempting,” Garcia said. “I would tell anybody who is considering it, you are considering it for a reason, and it has the potential to really take you somewhere in life.”
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