Colorado State University System Waives Undergraduate Application Fees for In-State Residents

Updated on September 8, 2023

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Colorado residents will be exempt from paying application fees when applying to any of the three campuses in the CSU System.

Campus sign that reads "Colorado State University"

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Colorado State University won’t charge application fees for in-state residents applying to undergraduate programs.
Out-of-state applicants will still be required to pay the $50 fee.
The CSU System is the first in Colorado to get rid of application fees for in-state residents.

The Colorado State University (CSU) System is waiving application fees for in-state residents applying to undergraduate programs.

Fees will be waived for applications to any of the system’s three campuses: CSU in Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global. Out-of-state applicants will still be required to pay the $50 fee.

“Universities exist to help people unlock their potential,” Tony Frank, chancellor of the CSU System, said in a press release. “The CSU System offers three very distinct educational options to help people find the program that best fits their needs. Removing the application fee at all of our campuses simply removes one more potential barrier to a better future.”

The application waiver comes as CSU Pueblo joins the Common Application, where CSU in Fort Collins is already a member institution. Interested Colorado students will have to indicate that they reside in the state on their application to obtain the waiver.

For students applying to CSU Global, the system’s fully online campus, residents can use the code “Colorado” to waive the application fee. Additionally, service members, veterans, and their dependents can apply for free, according to CSU.

“At a time of increasing costs, and given our mission and focus on providing a consistently high return-on-investment for our students’ time and money, we believe that the change to free applications for university admission for Colorado residents and our service members and veterans is timely and appropriate,” Becky Takeda-Tinker, president of CSU Global, said in the release.

CSU is the first university system in the state to waive application fees for Coloradans. CSU in Fort Collins made the move on Aug. 1 as applications opened for the 2024-2025 school year, making it the largest university in the state to do so.