Score high on your SAT, apply to college for free

Want to apply to college, but worried about all those application fees adding up? The College Board wants to help you.

If you got a high score on your SAT or PSAT, you may soon be receiving a package that will make it free to apply to 6 colleges of your choice, the New York Times reports. The College Board is sending fee waivers to about 28,000 seniors who scored in the top 15 percent of test takers and whose family is in the bottom quarter of income distribution.

The new program is aimed at helping low-income students who would have not otherwise applied to certain colleges because of application fees or other hardships apply to top colleges.

Research has shown that most low-income students with high test scores and grades do not even apply to, yet alone attend, select colleges. Many low-income students are scared off by the high sticker price of top universities and instead enroll in nearby colleges to save money.

But many top schools offer significant financial aid to well-qualified students from low-income or middle class families. Many students who assume they will not qualify for financial aid end up receiving significant scholarships and grants.

You never know how much aid you’ll receive until you apply to a college, and having an application fee waiver gives you nothing to lose. So study hard for those standardized tests–not only will you have a better chance of receiving a fee waiver from The College Board, you’ll also be more likely to receive scholarships from top colleges and outside organizations that can significantly reduce the cost of college.