RTICLE Any Texas resident can apply for admission to a public college in the state without a fee during the week of Oct. 13-19.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in cooperation with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board announced the initiative Sept. 2 in a press release. Free College Application Week is a statewide program that helps Texas residents apply to public colleges at no cost. Application fees range from $30 to $90 across the state on other dates.
”Texas prioritizes opportunities for students to pursue the best education they need to succeed in high demand, goodpaying jobs after graduation,” Abbott said. “During free college application week, Texans can apply to their preferred colleges or universities without application fees. By supporting our students today, we are investing in a stronger Texas tomorrow.”
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.
Alongside My Texas Future, Apply Texas and the Direct Admissions Program, Free College Application Week provides one more tool to help students streamline their college search and make achieving their higher education goals more affordable.
“In addition to the cost savings, combined with other tools available to Texans for planning and achieving educational and career goals, free application week removes a barrier so more students can take their first step toward higher education,” THECB Commissioner Wynn Rosser said.
For this first year, Free College Application Week is October 13-19, 2025. Every year after that, it will be held the second full week of October (Monday-Sunday).
All Texas residents applying for undergraduate admission at Texas public institutions through ApplyTexas (www.applytexas.org) may participate. This includes first-time college students and transfer students. For details on residency status, see Texas Residency Guidelines.
My Texas Future, a digital tool that connects Texans with resources and information about postsecondary opportunities, includes personalized interactive features to help prospective students identify interests and skills, explore careers and programs, plan for school, and navigate financial aid. Visitors can create accounts, save preferences, and request to speak to an advisor. My Texas Future also connects prospective students to ApplyTexas and the Direct Admissions program.
Users may begin an exploration of professional interests with a career quiz. With information about jobs that might fit their interests, users can compare hundreds of Texas-based careers by local demand, pay, required education, and related skills. They may also compare credential programs by average tuition, location, and salary after graduation.
Direct Admissions provides students with a list of participating Texas institutions where they can qualify for acceptance before they even begin the college application process. Students share their academic information, including class rank, grade point average, and SAT/ACT score, through their My Texas Future profile, and can receive their list as early as the end of their junior year.
