Texas Students Embrace Free College Application Week in its Second Year

October 21, 2026October 21, 2026

AUSTIN — Prospective students submitted more than 400,000 applications to Texas public colleges and universities during Free College Application Week last week, marking a 47 percent increase over the program’s inaugural year in 2025.

Students who apply to college during Free College Application (FCAW) week can save up to $75 per application fee, which translates to hundreds of dollars if they apply to multiple colleges. They are also able to get their applications into the queue early with admissions officers.

“The strong participation in the second year of Free College Application Week underscores the aspirations of Texas students to earn a postsecondary certificate or degree. We are grateful to the many advisors, counselors and administrators at high schools, colleges and universities who helped raise awareness of this opportunity,” said Texas Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser. “Texas is home to an extraordinary pool of talented students eager for an education that sets them on a thriving career path, and Free College Application Week is one way we help them get a good start.”

This year Free College Application Week ran from Oct. 12 to Oct. 18. During that time frame, any Texas resident submitting an eligible undergraduate admission application as a first-time, transfer, visiting or returning student could receive the fee waiver from the state’s public colleges and universities as long as they applied through the official ApplyTexas website.

This year, 402,583 applications were submitted, nearly a 47 percent increase over 2025, the first year of the program, when 273,579 applications were submitted.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board oversees the FCAW program and maintains a full suite of online programs that help prospective higher education students. Those include:

My Texas Future, a website created by the state that helps students explore careers, discover education and training programs that match their interests and skills, and learn about ways to pay for school. Students can start building their profiles in middle school as early as age 13, making the application process easier.

Direct Admissions, a feature of My Texas Future that further streamlines the college application process. By entering basic information like GPA, class rank, and test scores, students instantly receive a personalized list of Texas public universities where they could qualify for admission—before even starting the application.
 
ApplyTexas, the state’s online tool for applications to Texas’ public higher education institutions, must be used to qualify for application fee waivers during Free College Application Week. Available year round, ApplyTexas.org serves first-time college students, returning students, visiting students, transfer students, and graduate applicants. Its application guide helps students understand all the documents and resume items they will need.

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