Yes, you read that right. You can avoid the burdensome requirement of having to fork out money just to complete an application to return to school. We know it’s for processing, etc., but the thought of college whether online or on-campus causes you to see dollar signs as it is. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to avoid those application fees altogether? I was thinking about this the other day as I was researching my “online school options.” Fortunately, there are a bunch of schools that do offer you the opportunity to apply online without having to worry about application fees. Check out this list that I found floating around. Keep in mind some of these colleges may not offer online education.
Colleges with no application fees when applying online
- York College of Pennsylvania
- Wesleyan College (GA)
- Wellesley College
- United States Coast Guard Academy
- Trinity College of Florida
- Touro College
- St. Ambrose University
- Spring Arbor University
- Sierra Nevada College
- Roanoke College
- Purdue University
- Polytechnic University
- Oakland University
- Northwestern College
- Neumann University
- Nebraska Wesleyan University
- Mississippi College
- Milwaukee School of Engineering
- Manhattanville College
- Furman University
- Drexel University
- Drake University
- Concordia College
- Brandeis University
- Barclay College
I am sure there are more colleges and universities out there that have no application fees when applying online. If you know of any, please feel free to add them to this list.
Why do colleges and universities charge application fees anyways? Is it really necessary? Well, according to Nic Lino over at ezinearticles.com, it is:
- Because they can! Wow, really? I guess the bigger college and universities that bring in the dough every year feel that students who really want to get into their college or university do not mind paying those fees. In some cases this definitely makes sense but sometimes I feel like all they want is your money and they will figure out ways including the application process to get it from you. Welcome to college life!
- The fees cover costs! Okay, so we know that there are staffed people within every college and university that has to weed out those who wouldn’t be a pefect fit. It’s a tedious job I am sure but someone has to do it.
- I like this one, to ”Weed out Tire Kickers.” “If the application process was free there would be many, many more applications at every school in the country. It would become too costly to run an admissions program.”
Though these may all be legitimate reasons to charge an application fee, I am so glad there are college and universities out there that offer you the chance to apply online without the hassles of application fees. I guess if they didn’t have application fees then the process in general wouldn’t work.
What is the most you have ever paid or seen for an application fee? I have seen as high as $60 at some schools which is outrageous to me. If they want to charge money it should at least be $5-$10 most, right? I know, it’s not going to happen but adding to those college costs, you really feel those money weights take a toll. Scholarships sound great about now don’t they? To see if you qualify check out the Financial Aid section of classesandcareers.com.
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Columbia College, the private, non-profit liberal arts and sciences college set along the Mississippi river in Columbia, Missouri, has witnessed booming growth in the past few years — so much that the online campus headquarters will be relocating to accommodate growth.
With 76,500 course enrollments this year and just 2,800 enrollments with the online college was established 10 years ago, the rapid growth is clear to see.
A local online student base
Of the online student based, 4,454 of them are local Missourians, and 805 of them are located in Columbia itself, making a case for the blend of in-seat and online learning programs which allow the students opportunities to take courses at their desired timing.
Hard economic times make good education
Steve Wiegenstein, Columbia College’s associate dean for graduate studies, said he attributes the growth to the downturn in the economy, which usually means a bad time for businesses, but a time of growth for education systems, as lack of work gives people more time to take classes and more motivation to earn training to beat out the competitive job market.
“There’s a truism that when the economy is in difficult times, the interest in continuing education increases, as does the consequent numbers of students,” Wiegenstein said in a press release.
With it’s second move in less than three years, the online college headquarters has certainly experienced this trend.
A new home
The online campus will be moving from its current location in the Columbia Photo building on North 10th Street to the former YouZeum, located on the corner of Sixth and Cherry streets in downtown Columbia, which became Columbia College property last October.
Renamed Federal Hall, the new location is somewhat removed from the rest of campus, but the space is ideal for the online sector of the school, said Brandi Herrman, associate director of public relations. She said the programs housed in this new building do not require a close proximity to the center of campus, and the new location will allow for space for classes with growing programs.
Ernest Wren III, assistant dean of adult higher education and online campus, agreed that the new space is ideal for the online campus.
“We just needed more space…[and] our new home will give us room to grow,” he said in a press release.
Among the programs moving to the new location is the online nursing program, which will find its home on the third floor of Federal Hall.
New building features
One reason the space is optimal for the nursing program is the area dedicated to a new nine-bed skills lab, two simulation areas and a patient exam room, creating the set-up of a real physician’s office. The new space will allow nursing students to gain real world experience with assessments, real patients and providing personal care.
Other high tech features will occupy the space, including interactive whiteboards, audio-visual teleconferencing areas and simulation clinical instruction zones.
The online campus will cover the first and second floors of the building, providing work spaces for its 45-member staff, which are divided into three sections: academics, information technology and student services.
The new Federal Hall is undergoing renovations and is set to open in August of this year.
Get free information about an online school today!
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Everybody’s busy. If you’re trying to juggle family and career, there are only so many hours in a day, regardless of where you work. This really presents a problem if you decide to go back to school, because now you have to add yet ONE MORE thing to your already overloaded day.
Which is why so many people chose to get their college degrees online. Since distance learning has become extremely popular many of the old school, diehard, brick-and-mortar colleges and universities now offer the same degree programs online (and in some cases with the same instructors) that you’d get if you commuted to campus and personally showed up for class.
This makes it handy for the busiest of people to successfully go back to school—so much so that even the rich and famous are discovering the convenience of online education. Several well-known people have taken advantage of this concept, which dates back longer than you may think. To illustrate how everybody has to budget their time and money (just like the rest of us) check out how these high-profile people figured out a way to fit college into their busy schedules with the help of distance learning and online classes.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Didiayer Snyder
- Marcia Cross
- Mary Peters
Politician, Actor; University of Wisconsin
Distance learning is actually nothing new. Before the Internet many colleges offered legitimate degrees through correspondence coursework—and University of Wisconsin was one of those schools. Back in the ‘70s Mr. Schwarzenegger studied International Fitness Marketing (via distance learning) and received his degree from that institution in 1979. He then put that knowledge to good use when President George H.W. Bush appointed him as chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness during the 1990s.
NBA Player; University of Phoenix
Shaquille O’Neal left the Louisiana State his junior year (without a degree) to join the NBA. Disappointed that he chose NBA glitz over a college education his mother made him promise to one day finish his degree, which he did. Through distance learning at LSU he completed his bachelor’s in business, and then went on to get his MBA online at the University of Phoenix.
Designer on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; Ashworth College
Even though hers is not a household name, Didiayer Synder is associated with houses. As a designer on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, she calls the shots on what colors to use and which walls to knock down. She received her degrees in interior design and carpentry via online from Ashworth College.
Actor; University of Antioch
Known for playing the ever-uptight Bree Hodge on Desperate Housewives, Marcia Cross graduated from Julliard in New York with a degree in acting. After her career successfully took off she decided to go back to school. As a result, she received her master’s in psychology from Antioch University (in L.A.) by way of taking classes online to complete her course studies.
Former Secretary of Transportation; University of Phoenix
A lifelong proponent of public service, Mary Peters served on the Arizona Board of Public Transportation in the mid ‘80s, and was eventually appointed by the governor of Arizona as its director. She later worked in Washington, D.C., as the Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration, and in 2006 President George W. Bush appointed her the Secretary of Transportation. Ms. Peters got her degree in management from the University of Phoenix.
Other honorable mention celebrities that have used distance learning to help them achieve their degrees include actor James Franco, who finished up his studies at UCLA with online classes and now utilizes Columbia’s distance learning program; NBA player Jalen Rose, who received his bachelor’s in management via online classes from University of Maryland; and rapper Lil’ Wayne, who is currently taking classes online from University of Houston with the goal of obtaining a degree in political science.
Whether you’re a celebrity or not, going back to college (or starting it if you’ve never been) is always a good idea. But with everything we have going on in our lives making that commitment can be a little scary. Getting over that hump, and finally enrolling, is never easy. But once you do, that alone makes you a rock star.
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