College application fees at more than 130 colleges and universities are being waived for high school seniors in New York State.
The 2026 College Application Initiative (CAI) encourages high school seniors, particularly those from low-income families and first-generation students, to apply to at least one college. The initiative will run throughout October and November, expanding from its traditional one-month format to provide students with more time, resources, and support to explore their college options and complete applications.
For the fourth consecutive year, students can apply for free to SUNY, CUNY and more than 45 participating private colleges and universities during designated application fee waiver periods in October and November. College application fees can range from $50 to $90 per application, and those costs can quickly add up for students applying to multiple colleges.
Last year, more than 300,000 college applications were submitted through CAI, saving students and families more than $15 million in application fees.
The College Application Initiative is led by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) in partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY), the City University of New York (CUNY), the New York State Education Department (NYSED), the Association of Private Colleges (APC) and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU). This year, more than 700 high schools across New York State are participating in CAI, and nearly 130 public and private colleges and universities are offering application fee waivers.
2026 Application Waiver Periods:
- CUNY – Students Outside New York City Public Schools: October 15 through November 16, 2026
- SUNY: October 19 through November 2, 2026
- Private Universities in Western New York that are participating include:
Canisius University – Whole Academic Year
D’Youville University – To Be Announced
Houghton University – All Year Round
St. Bonaventure University – Year Round
A complete list of participating colleges and universities, along with additional information about available application fee waivers, can be found here.
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