Requesting Fee Waivers

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The SAT Fee-Waiver Program expands access to the SAT and its benefits by letting low-income students test for free.

How Students Get Fee Waivers

SAT fee waivers are not sent directly to students. School counselors identify first-time fee waiver–eligible students at their school and distribute fee waivers to them. Students who've already tested with a fee waiver will automatically have their full set of fee waiver benefits in their account.

Authorized agencies and community-based organizations (CBOs) may also distribute fee waivers.

How Schools and Organizations Get Fee Waivers

Schools: Starting in the 2018-19 school year, schools automatically receive SAT fee waivers based on how many students used them for the first time during the previous testing year.

To request additional fee waivers for your school, call the SAT Educator Helpline at 888-SAT-HELP.

CBOs: CBOs that have a six-digit College Board agency code also automatically receive SAT fee waivers if first-time fee waiver–eligible students used them during the previous testing year. If you need fee waivers but your CBO doesn't have a code, email us.

For more information about ordering, receiving, and distributing fee waivers, go to Fee Waiver FAQs.

Important:

Fee Waiver Basics

Brochures

SAT Fee Waivers Student Brochure (.pdf/182 KB)
SAT Fee Waivers Student Brochure—Spanish (.pdf/209 KB)
Counselor's Guide to Fee Waivers (.pdf/4.13 MB)

College Application Fee Waivers

The College Board provides college application fee waivers directly to students. Eligible seniors get their college application fee waivers when they get their scores. Eligible juniors will get college application fee waivers in the fall of their senior year.

More Ways to Help

School counselors, educators, and representatives of CBOs and agencies help make sure that low-income students can take the SAT for free. But research shows that underrepresented students need more than a fee waiver to make it to test day.

Here are some strategies suggested by counselors and CBO workers to make sure students don't miss test day or other important college planning steps:

  • Make a list of nearby test centers; students need to choose a test center when they register.
  • Help each student create their personal College Board account. It's free, and they'll need it to get their scores, send scores to colleges, and more.
  • Sit with your students individually or in groups and help them register online or on paper.
  • Print and make copies of student Admission Tickets in case students lose them. Store them in a safe place until right before test day.
  • Keep track of students' test dates on a calendar.
  • Make a test day plan with students:
    • Make sure students know exactly where their test center is and how long it will take to get there.
    • Confirm that they have transportation to and from the test center. Help them set up a car pool, if that's practical.
  • Remind students to bring their Admission Ticket and an ID that meets College Board requirements.
  • Remind students to use the SAT Test Day Checklist.
  • Check in with students to confirm their attendance and find out about their test day experience.
  • If students missed test day, encourage them to go online or call Customer Service (866-756-7346) and transfer their registration to another test date right away. They'll have to pay a change fee to do this.
  • Celebrate students' accomplishment with a congratulatory note or a group gathering.

Plan next steps with students:

  • Use the score release date as a college planning milestone. Sign in with students to collegeboard.org and check scores together.
  • Talk with students about next steps and goals, such as areas they can focus on in their SAT practice if they plan to take the test again.
  • Encourage students to go online the week after the test to send their free score reports to colleges and universities they’re applying to. Students using SAT fee waivers can send as many free score reports as they want at any time, even after they've seen their scores.
  • Urge students to research financial aid options. Students who use SAT fee waivers can use CSS Profile to apply for financial aid from participating colleges, for free.