October NY College Application Month: 126 New York Schools Waive Application Fees

In an effort to lower financial barriers for high schoolers heading to college, New York is expanding financial aid and waiving college application fees. Governor Kathy Hochul proclaimed October New York State College Application Month and announced free applications for almost 130 institutions statewide, including the State University of New York, the City University of New York, and dozens of private colleges.

Waived application fees typically range from $50 to $90 each.

Applications for state and federal financial aid are open for students enrolling in the 2026/2027 school year.

Check out the list of schools and the free application period:

Institution Sector Free application period starts Waiver ends
Adelphi University Independent October 1 November 15
SUNY Adirondack SUNY October 20 November 3
The State University of New York at Albany SUNY October 20 November 3
Alfred State SUNY October 20 November 3
Baruch College CUNY October 27 (NYC only), November 10 (all NYS) November 21
Berkeley College Independent October 1 October 31
The State University of Binghamton SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Brockport SUNY October 20 November 3
Bronx Community College CUNY October 27 (NYC ), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Brooklyn College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
SUNY Broome SUNY October 20 November 3
University at Buffalo SUNY October 20 November 3
Canisius University Independent October 1 October 31
SUNY Canton SUNY October 20 November 3
Cayuga County Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
The City College of New York CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Clinton Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Cobleskill SUNY October 20 November 3
Colgate University Independent October 1 October 31
Columbia-Greene Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Corning Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Cortland SUNY October 20 November 3
Culinary Institute of America Independent October 1 October 31
D’Youville University Independent October 1 (undergraduate only) October 31
SUNY Delhi SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University SUNY October 20 November 3
Dutchess Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Elmira College Independent October 1 October 31
Empire State University SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry SUNY October 20 November 3
Erie Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Farmingdale State College SUNY October 20 November 3
Fashion Institute of Technology SUNY October 20 November 3
Finger Lakes Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Finger Lakes Health College of Nursing & Health Sciences Independent October 1 October 31
Five Towns College Independent October 7, 20; November 13, 24; December 2, 16
Fordham University Independent October 1 November 1
SUNY Fredonia SUNY October 20 November 3
Fulton-Montgomery Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Genesee Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Geneseo SUNY October 20 November 3
Guttman Community College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Hartwick College Independent Year Round
Herkimer County Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Hofstra University Independent October 1 October 31
Hostos Community College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Houghton University Independent Year Round
Hudson Valley Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Hunter College CUNY October 27 (NYC)
November 10 (NYS) November 21
Jamestown Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Jefferson Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
John Jay College of Criminal Justice CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Keuka College Independent Year Round
Kingsborough Community College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Le Moyne College Independent October 1 October 31
CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
LaGuardia Community College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Lehman College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
LIM College Independent October 1 October 31
Macaulay Honors College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Borough of Manhattan Community College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Manhattanville University Independent October 1 October 31
Maria College Independent October 1 October 31
Marion S. Whelan School of Practical Nursing Independent October 1 October 31
Maritime College SUNY October 20 November 3
Medgar Evers College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
The New York School for Medical and Dental Assistants Independent September 23 October 31
Metropolitan College of New York Independent October 1 October 31
Mohawk Valley Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Molloy University Independent October 1 October 31
Monroe University Independent October 1 October 31
(code: SENIOR)
Monroe Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Morrisville SUNY October 20 November 3
University of Mount Saint Vincent Independent Year Round
Nassau Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Nazareth University Independent Year Round
The New School Independent October 1 October 31
SUNY New Paltz SUNY October 20 November 3
New York Institute of Technology Independent October 1 October 31
New York Automotive & Diesel Institute Independent Year Round
New York City College of Technology (City Tech) CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Niagara University Independent Year Round
SUNY Niagara County Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
North Country Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Old Westbury SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Oneonta SUNY October 20 November 3
Onondaga Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Optometry SUNY October 20 November 3
Orange County Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Oswego SUNY October 20 November 3
Pace University (NYC) Independent October 1 October 31
Pace (Westchester) Independent Year Round
Pacific College of Health and Science Independent October 1 October 31
Paul Smith’s College Independent October 1 October 31
SUNY Plattsburgh SUNY October 20 November 3
Plaza College Independent October 1 December 31
SUNY Polytechnic Institute SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Potsdam SUNY October 20 November 3
Purchase College SUNY October 20 November 3
Queens College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Queensborough Community College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
Rochester Institute of Technology Independent October 1 October 31
Rockland Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
SUNY Schenectady County Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
School of Visual Arts (SVA) Independent October 1 October 31
Siena University Independent Entire Application Season
St. Bonaventure University Independent Year Round
St. Francis College Independent September 1 March 1
St. John’s University Independent Year Round
St. Joseph’s University New York (Brooklyn) Independent October 1 October 31
St. Joseph’s University New York (Suffolk County) Independent October 1 October 31
College of Staten Island CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21
The State University of New York at Stony Brook SUNY October 20 November 3
Suffolk County Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Sullivan County Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences Independent October 1 October 31
St. Thomas Aquinas College Independent October 1 October 31
Tompkins Cortland Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
Trocaire College Independent October 1 October 31
Upstate Medical University SUNY October 20 November 3
Vassar College Independent October 1 October 31
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology Independent October 1 October 31
Wagner College Independent October 1 October 31
The College of Westchester Independent Year Round
Westchester Community College SUNY October 20 November 3
York College CUNY October 27 (NYC), November 10 (NYS) November 21

https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5540972-new-york-waives-college-fees/

3 Likes

How can the governor private institutions to eliminate their fees? Must be voluntary.

It’s apparently part of a nationwide effort:

I’m not sure if the private colleges are subsidized for participating.

Interestingly, it seems to be an effort led by ACT, and appears to have been around for quite a while:

1 Like

Yes not all independent colleges are participating, but you can see how that would benefit them: more applicants at less well-known colleges (some of which depend on tuition or struggle to attract students) and for highly selective ones more FGLI applicants (Colgate and Vassar are participating, not Cornell).

3 Likes

And not Columbia, Barnard, or Hamilton.

1 Like