If your family's income is low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price school lunch, or you meet a similar measure of need, you can usually take the SAT or ACT for free, send your scores for free, and apply to many colleges without paying application fees. The SAT fee waiver covers two tests and unlimited score reports; the ACT fee waiver covers two tests; and Common App, NACAC and the CSS Profile each offer their own waivers. Your school counselor is the place to start.
Where this information comes from
- Fees, eligibility rules and benefits come from the College Board, ACT, Common App and the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), checked in October 2026 for the 2026–27 school year. These programs change often, so confirm the details before you register or apply.
- Research on why small fees matter comes from two peer-reviewed or widely cited studies, listed under Sources.
What testing and applying cost
| Item | Cost in 2026–27 |
|---|---|
| SAT | $68 (late registration adds $38) |
| ACT (English, math and reading) | $70; $75 with science, $95 with writing, $100 with both (late registration adds $42) |
| Sending SAT scores | 4 free reports if chosen within 9 days of the test, then $15 each |
| Sending ACT scores | Up to 4 colleges included at registration, then $20 each |
| CSS Profile (a financial aid form some colleges require) | $25 for the first college, $16 for each additional college |
| College application fees | Set by each college; many charge nothing, others charge a fee per application |
Sources: College Board and ACT fee pages, checked October 2026.
Taken twice, with scores sent to a dozen colleges and applications to each, testing and applying can easily cost several hundred dollars. Fee waivers can bring that close to zero.
Who qualifies
The programs use nearly the same list. You usually qualify if you meet at least one of these:
- You're enrolled in or eligible for the National School Lunch Program (free or reduced-price lunch).
- Your family's income is within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's guidelines for free or reduced-price lunch.
- You're in a federal, state or local program for students from low-income families, such as Upward Bound, GEAR UP or another TRIO program.
- Your family receives public assistance or lives in federally subsidized public housing.
- You live in foster care, are a ward of the state or an orphan, or are homeless.
Common App also counts being eligible for a federal Pell Grant. Answer based on your own family's circumstances, not your school's: attending a school where every student gets free lunch doesn't by itself make you eligible.
The waivers, side by side
| Waiver | What it covers | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| SAT fee waiver | Two SATs (including late fees), unlimited free score reports, free CSS Profile, and college application fee waivers at more than 2,000 participating colleges | For 11th and 12th graders. Ask your school counselor for a fee waiver code, or request one directly from the College Board online |
| ACT fee waiver | Up to two ACTs, including the science and writing add-ons, and score reports to your high school and up to six colleges, with more free later | For 11th and 12th graders testing in the U.S. Your school counselor gives you a waiver code to enter when you register |
| Common App fee waiver | Application fees at Common App colleges that accept it | Answer the fee waiver question in the Common App; your counselor confirms. You can submit while the confirmation is pending |
| NACAC fee waiver | Application fees at colleges that accept it, including those outside Common App | A school counselor or community official signs NACAC's form. NACAC suggests using it for no more than four colleges |
| CSS Profile fee waiver | All CSS Profile fees | Automatic for students with an SAT fee waiver, and for undergraduates whose family adjusted gross income is under about $100,000 |
Sources: College Board, ACT, Common App and NACAC, checked October 2026. Each college decides whether to accept a given application fee waiver.
Why it's worth the paperwork
Small costs change what students do. When ACT increased its free score reports from three to four in 1997, students began sending scores to more colleges, and lower-income students applied to, and enrolled at, more selective ones (Pallais, 2015). In another study, high-achieving students from low-income families who received application fee waivers that required no extra paperwork, along with information about colleges, applied to and were admitted to more selective colleges than similar students who didn't (Hoxby and Turner, 2013).
The lesson in both: a fee that seems small can quietly shrink a student's list. If you qualify, use every waiver available to you.
How to use them
- Talk to your counselor early, ideally in fall of junior year, before you register for your first SAT or ACT. Waiver codes have to be entered at registration.
- Use your free score reports. SAT fee waivers include unlimited reports, so send your scores to every college that wants them.
- Check each college's policy. Many colleges don't charge an application fee at all. For those that do, look for whether they accept the Common App, College Board or NACAC waiver.
- Ask if you're not sure. If you don't meet a listed indicator but the fees would be a hardship, a counselor or community official can explain your circumstances; Common App and NACAC both allow for this.
- Keep track. The College Board gives one set of fee waiver benefits per student, and ACT allows two test waivers in all.
For when to schedule your tests, see when and how often to take the SAT or ACT. For the cost of college itself, see what families actually pay at 395 colleges, by income; you may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
Lens helps you understand which kinds of colleges fit you, using seven research-backed assessments, so you can spend your applications where they matter most. Start with Lens →
FAQ
How much does the SAT cost? $68 for 2026–27, plus $38 for late registration. Students eligible for a fee waiver can take it twice for free.
How much does the ACT cost? $70 for English, math and reading; $75 with the optional science section, $95 with writing and $100 with both. Eligible students can take it twice for free.
Who qualifies for an SAT fee waiver? Low-income 11th and 12th graders in the U.S. and its territories, typically those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, in a program such as Upward Bound, receiving public assistance, or in foster care or homeless. Ask your counselor or request a waiver from the College Board.
How do I get a Common App fee waiver? Answer the fee waiver question in your Common App profile if you meet one of the listed indicators, such as free or reduced-price lunch eligibility. Your school counselor confirms your eligibility.
What is the NACAC fee waiver? A form from the National Association for College Admission Counseling that a counselor or community official signs to request application fee waivers from colleges. NACAC suggests using it for up to four colleges.
Do all colleges accept fee waivers? No. Each college decides, and some charge no application fee at all. Check each college's admissions page.
Related
- How many colleges should I apply to?
- When and how often should you take the SAT or ACT?
- What is a good SAT score?
- Colleges with free tuition by family income
Sources
- College Board, SAT test fees, SAT fee waiver eligibility, SAT fee waiver benefits, score-sending fees and CSS Profile fee waivers.
- ACT, fees and fee waivers.
- Common App, fee waiver.
- NACAC, fee waivers.
- Pallais, A. (2015). Small differences that matter: Mistakes in applying to college. Journal of Labor Economics, 33(2).
- Hoxby, C., & Turner, S. (2013). Expanding college opportunities for high-achieving, low income students. Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research Discussion Paper 12-014.