In the state of Texas, the Free College Application Week is a statewide initiative that helps Texas residents apply to public colleges at no cost; the application fee is waived.
Created by Senate Bill 2231 during the 89th Texas Legislative Session, all public colleges and universities in Texas are required to waive admission application fees for Texas residents who apply through ApplyTexas to undergraduate programs.
Free College Application Week FAQs
Applications that are submitted between 12 a.m. CT on October 12, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. CT on October 18, 2026, through ApplyTexas will be free.
Texas Residents can submit their undergraduate program applications with no application fee during Free College Application Week. The fee waiver currently applies only to undergraduate applications submitted through ApplyTexas. Both first-time freshmen and transfer admission applicants can participate in Free College Application Week.
The waiver for Free College Application Week does not apply to:
- Graduate program admissions applications
- International admissions applications
- Non-Texas resident admissions applications
Yes, students may submit applications to any available semester if the application is submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on October 18, 2026.
No, we will only honor the Free College Application Week fee waiver if an application has not previously been submitted for the term. If you’re a freshman, you can review the information on this page to pursue our regular process. If you’re not a freshman, you can pay your fee on your myUTSA Admissions portal.
The fee waiver is available to Texas residents only. All Texas residents can apply for free as part of Free College Application Week. For more information about who is considered a Texas resident, students should visit the Texas Residency page on the One Stop website which provides details on the residency classification process.
Yes, transfer students who are Texas residents and submit their application through ApplyTexas are eligible to participate in Free College Application Week.
If the student is completing an undergraduate application through ApplyTexas, yes, the student’s application is eligible for the fee waiver.
No, the fee waiver currently applies only to undergraduate admissions. Texas residents can submit their applications with no fee to undergraduate programs only during Free College Application Week through ApplyTexas. Graduate applications are not covered by this fee waiver during the event.
Yes, you can learn more information about our admissions application fee waiver process and who is eligible on this page.
We will use the submission timestamp in ApplyTexas to determine if a student qualifies. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on October 18, 2026, to be eligible for free status. Applications created but not submitted will not be eligible.
Once you submit your application, you will receive a thank you email from ApplyTexas. It can take 2-5 business days for us to receive and download your application once it is submitted.
Once we receive your application, you will receive an email from our One Stop Enrollment Center (UT San Antonio One Stop) confirming the receipt of your application along with your next steps.
Application fee waivers only apply if you applied through ApplyTexas during College Application Week. This is a short time when application fees are free. It starts at 12:00 a.m. CT on the first day and ends at 11:59 p.m. CT on the last day. You must be an undergrad student, which means you are working on your first college degree. You must also be a Texas resident. A Texas resident is someone who lives in Texas and meets state rules. You may need to provide additional documentation to prove you are a resident of Texas.
If you did not apply during Free College Application Week, you may still have options. You can read about other fee waiver choices on this page.
Fee waivers during Texas Free College Application Week are only for Texas residents and they only work during that week. If your record says you are not a Texas resident and you think that is wrong, you can ask for a review. Go to the Texas Residency page on the One Stop website to see which steps you need to follow. You may need to send extra documents to help prove that you are a Texas resident.