As an initiative to boost enrollment rates at Emporia State, the Office of Admissions announced Feb. 12 that it has waived application fees for “all domestic first-time, transfer, second bachelor’s-seeking, non-traditional, and distance undergraduate students.” Before this decision, undergraduate applicants were subject to a $30 fee to apply. 

Admissions Counselor Larissa May said the waiver was implemented to help “increase accessibility and enrollment rates.” 

ESU has offered periods of free applications many times in the past in an effort to encourage students to apply. They saw it beneficial to both applicants and the University to waive the fee indefinitely. 

“We started having free application weeks, and we got tons of applications during that time,” May said. 

The idea is that without a fee, the application becomes more accessible to people of all backgrounds. May says the goal is to make “Emporia as accessible as possible” and the decision is only part of the effort to make ESU more affordable to attend alongside other initiatives like increased scholarship funding.

“It’s a little more accessible for students who don’t want to or can’t pay the fee,” May said.

International and graduate applicants will still be subject to an application fee.