SAT Fee Waiver FAQ
How to obtain and use fee waivers
Some frequently asked questions about SAT fee waivers include the following.
How do schools receive fee waivers?
All high schools accredited by the U.S. Department of Education are automatically eligible to receive fee waivers for the SAT and SAT Subject TestsTM. The number of fee-waiver cards shipped to your school is determined by the number of tests taken between October and January, inclusive, by fee-waiver recipients attending your school in the previous testing year.
When will I receive the fee-waiver cards for the coming year?
Fee-waiver materials should arrive at your school in mid-to-late August. Fee-waiver cards can be used for online registration up until the expiration date on the card.
How can I order more fee-waiver materials?
Fee-waiver materials can be ordered through the SAT Educator Helpline. You can begin placing orders for the fall in late August.
Please place orders for any upcoming test dates a minimum of three weeks BEFORE the regular registration deadline to ensure fee waivers arrive in plenty of time for students to register for their desired test date.
I am not a school; how can my institution receive fee waivers?
All high schools that have been assigned a College Board high school code are automatically eligible to receive SAT and SAT Subject Test fee waivers. If your organization is a non-high school that primarily serves low-income high school students and provides educational support services, you may be eligible to be set up as an SAT Fee-Waiver Agency, allowing you to receive and distribute SAT fee waivers to eligible students.
How does an agency qualify to receive fee waivers?
An agency that wants to provide SAT Program fee waivers must:
- Receive at least 50 percent of its total funding from federal, state or city government sources
- Primarily serve low-income students
- Provide educational support services to high school students
To apply, an agency must submit the following required information:
- A formal request for a Fee-Waiver Agency code on official organizational letterhead. The request must include an overview of the organization, its mission, a description of the population of students served and a description of the programs and services offered.
- An official copy of any grant funding award letter(s) documenting local, state or federal funding sources.
- A copy of its annual budget, highlighting federal, state or local government funding sources that comprise at least 50 percent of its total operating budget.
- The total number of students served annually and the proportion that meet SAT fee-waiver eligibility criteria.
- The total number of eligible, low-income, college-bound students requiring a fee waiver for the current academic year.
- The actual requested quantity of fee waivers for the current academic year.
- A summary of how the agency will validate students' eligibility to receive an SAT fee waiver.
To apply for your agency code, please submit the required items noted above to:
SAT Program Fee Waiver Service
Fee Waiver Agency Code Request
The College Board
45 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10023
Are foreign-born and international students eligible to receive fee waivers?
Fee waivers may be granted to eligible nationals of countries other than the United States only if they reside and test in the United States or United States territories.
Outside of the U.S., fee waivers may only be granted to eligible U.S. citizens residing outside the United States.
Are home-schooled students eligible to participate in the program?
Home-schooled students who meet the financial eligibility requirements may receive fee-waiver cards, but must provide proof of their eligibility for fee waivers to their local high school fee-waiver counselor.