Following a pilot at the University of Utah, all of the state’s public colleges and universities will waive application fees for in-state students.

First-year, first-time students with permanent Utah addresses will be able to take advantage of the benefit. Previously, application fees for all Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) schools were waived for in-state students during October and November. The U permanently waived the fee for first-time Utah undergraduates starting July 2022.

The USHE board voted unanimously to permanently remove application fees during their final meeting of the year. The move is an effort to increase access to college for students from across the state.

“In October and November, when a lot of universities waived their fees, the number of applications skyrocketed,” said Cydni Tetro on the USHE Board. “You’ve got to get people enrolled.”

For the two admissions cycles since the fee has been waived, the U has seen an increase in first-time, in-state students applying. Senior Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Steve Robinson expects the trend to continue.