Bates College will waive the admission application fee, beginning with the Fall 2025 pool of applicants. Previously, domestic applicants paid a $65 application fee but could request to have that fee waived based on their financial needs. The change to no fee for any applicants is effective immediately.

“We’re so pleased that all our prospective students will be able to apply to Bates fee-free,” said Leigh Weisenburger, the former vice president for enrollment and dean of admission, now serving as the college’s vice president for institutional affairs. “This shift fits with Bates’ mission-driven and long-standing commitment to access and affordability. At a time in a student’s life when there is a lot on their mind and many details to attend to — particularly with regard to the college application process — removing a step and that cost will be meaningful and have a direct impact. We are proud to provide this access to our Bates applicants in the name of equity.”

Bates is one of 75 colleges in the United States that meets the full demonstrated need of all admitted and enrolled students. As part of its ongoing commitment to remove barriers to college access, application for admission, and enrollment, Bates announced earlier this year that it has partnered with QuestBridge, a national nonprofit that connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with leading institutions of higher education. For prospective students within the QuestBridge process, there are no application fees, and Weisenburger said eliminating the application fee for all prospective Bates students, including those applying as transfer students, was a logical next step toward greater access.

For Bates Admission, this change represents a removal of what was understood to be a likely barrier. “An application fee could discourage some students, particularly from low-income backgrounds, from even considering certain institutions,” said Director of Admission Darryl Uy. 

Bates has long offered an opportunity for students to ask for an application fee waiver, but in the complexities of the application process, Uy said many students still might not know that it’s possible to request that waiver. 

“And even for those who are aware, the process of requesting an application fee waiver can feel like a burden or an additional hoop to jump through,” Uy added. He said Bates’ decision to eliminate the application fee addresses all of these issues and underscores the college’s commitment to access.

 “We’re really looking forward to this coming application season,” Uy said. “We expect to be meeting, as always, very talented students, but a wider group than before.”