The University of Cincinnati (UC) is waiving its $50 application fee for two weeks, between November 2 and 15, 2020. This applies to all campuses and in all programs.
The offer is also extended to international students, who will save $100 in fees.
In addition, UC announced earlier this year that it was moving to test-optional, indicating that applicants would not have to submit ACT or SAT scores to gain entry into nearly all of the school’s programs.
The university previously waived fees for the fall 2020 application deadline, but this was only limited to transfer applicants.
Helping International Students
International students in the US have been hit hard by the repercussions of the pandemic.
Just days after celebrating Independence Day, President Donald Trump announced international students would not be allowed to study in the US if their universities did not offer in-person instruction. For international students enrolled in universities that moved online, this left them two options to consider: transfer universities or get deported by ICE.
The outcry immediately after led the administration to reverse its decision. However, the fight is far from over, with students rallying once more in opposition to a proposal by the Department of Homeland Security to limit the length of student visas.
This morning, on behalf of student governments and student unions at 51 universities, representing 850,000+ students, @ThatBBLane and I wrote to DHS in opposition to it's proposed rule limiting the length of student visas. 1/https://t.co/spEY0QXkgZ pic.twitter.com/KHIhH9spSk
— Divyansh Kaushik (@dkaushik96) October 26, 2020
UC hopes that waiving the application fees will help lighten the financial burden for international applicants who still want to pursue higher education amid the pandemic.
The UC’s interim assistant vice provost of admissions, Linden Pechette, said she hoped this would help students feel more confident.
“Although there is a great deal of uncertainty still in our world, one thing we want students to be certain about is that the University of Cincinnati has their best interest in mind,” Pechette explained. “We are committed to access for students, and we want them to feel confident in taking this next step toward their future.”
UC Maintains High Enrollment Rates
Despite the effects of the pandemic, UC reported that 46,798 students are currently enrolled across UC’s campuses. This is 410 more than the university’s all-time high last year and is the eighth year in a row for the institution’s record-setting enrollment.
UC also maintained high retention rates, with 88 percent of first-year students returning for the fall semester.