SAT Fee Waiver 2023: Guide For International Students

Scholastic Aptitude test or currently called the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), is administered by the college board, a non-profit organisation formed in December 1899 is headquartered in New York. The SAT is a pencil paper test to evaluate the candidates’ written, verbal, and mathematical skills.

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SAT Eligibility

Any student from high school can register for this test. However, generally, students belonging to the age group of 17 to 19 years appear for this test in India.

SAT Eligibility Criteria For 2022

Duration of SAT test

The SAT exam is three hours long. However, choosing SAT with an essay could last up to 3 hours and fifty minutes. The essay version has been eased off since 2021. SAT test scores for each of the two subscores are on a 200-800 point scale. The total SAT score range is between 400 to 1600. Read this to check out the dates for this year’s SAT and prepare for your new SAT syllabus in advance.

SAT Test Centers In India For 2022

Restriction to the Number of SAT Appearances

SAT exams are conducted in March, May, August, October, and December in a year. The college board sets no restriction regarding the number of times you can take the test.

SAT Impact on College Admission Chances

Although many colleges no longer require SAT, most institutions still rely on a standardised process to initiate admission. An SAT score thus plays a significant role in your chances of the college application for admission. While GPA (Grade Point Average) is generally regarded as a more important factor in college admission. However, even if the GPA is lower, higher SAT scores can still display their aptitude to succeed. A college may look favourably at students who have a low GPA if their SAT scores are impressive.

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SAT Fee Waiver

The cost of the routine SAT exam with SAT subject tests is $52, while for the SAT with an essay is $68. In case of late registration, the penalty fee is $30, and the waitlist fee is $53.Without a fee waiver, the SAT tests have different fees across headings. Based on the criteria set by the College Board, this is the fee for the SATs:

Basic Fees:

• SAT – $52
• SAT with Essay Section – $68

Other Additional Fees:

• Late Registration Fee – $30
• Waitlist Fee – $53

Eligibility of SAT Fee Waivers

SAT Fee Waivers can be availed only by students who are in need of financial assistance and are studying in the 11th & 12th grades. International students in the US or US territories can also avail of an SAT Fee Waiver, and so can US citizens living outside the country. The criteria to be considered for SAT Fee Waiver as a low-income student or a student with financial need is as below: Members of the family – Total income (Considered low) 1 – $23,606 2 – $31,894 3 – $40,182 4 – $48,470 5 – $56,758 6 – $65,046 Further addition of $8,288 has to be added for every additional member for it to remain as a low income. The income eligibility guidelines for a candidate to be eligible for a fee waiver are:

• If an applicant is enrolled in the federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
• If the total annual family income of the applicant falls below the range set by the USDA Food and nutrition services.
• If the applicant is part of a federal, state, or local program meant to aid students from low-income families. E.g., TRIO programs.
• The family of the applicant belongs to low-income and receives public assistance or financial aid programs.
• If the applicant is homeless or resides in federally subsidised public housing or a foster home.
• If the applicant is a ward of the state or an orphan.

In addition to all of these criteria, to be eligible for SAT Fee Waiver, it will be compulsory to submit the applicant’s parent’s income tax records.

The Process to Get SAT Waivers/ Vouchers

The process of applying for waivers is relatively simple. The College Board sends fee waivers to the local high school counsellors. Please maintain contact through email or in-person with the high school counsellor as the information concerning your fee waivers always come to them first. You can begin by speaking to them about your eligibility. They will then give you a form to fill out and submit later. Home-schooled students must contact a local high school counsellor to access the waiver. You have to be prepared with all your documents mentioned to submit for the waiver. To use the voucher for online registration, enter the following:

• A 12-digit fee waiver code for SAT
• The name of your counsellor
• Are you qualified for the fee waiver?

SAT Fee Waiver Do Not Cover These

• The board does not waive fees for other College Board programs like Advanced Placement Exams.
• One fee waiver can be applied only to one registration. If you miss the test on that occasion, the waiver will go unused. You could use your second fee waiver but will be able to write the test only once.
• If you intend to change your test date, you have to pay a fee of $30. You cannot use your fee waiver to put you on a waitlist.

Benefits of SAT Fee Waiver

An SAT Fee Waiver covers the total cost of registration with or without the essay. SAT Fee Waivers also cover College Board’s Question and Answer Services (QAS) or Student Answer Services (SAS). Answer service is an insight into ideas for enhancing your performance in the test by judging your previous performance.

• Almost eight test score reports will be sent to various schools and colleges of your choice.
• Students can apply for college application fee waivers at some colleges that offer such a facility.
• Free CSS profile application to apply for financial aid programs for participating schools and colleges.
• Fee reduction by colleges for test score verification.
• If you are in the US or US territories, the fee waiver carries no late registration fees.
• In case of any change or cancellation fees, your unused fee waivers will be returned to you for future use.

Accepting SAT Fee Waivers

If you have a few fee waiver codes for SAT or are marked as eligible, you can avail yourself of the benefits on your SAT homepage. All you need to do is sign in to your College Board account. If you do not have an account, you will have to create one. On the website, click on ‘My SAT.’ If you have used your College Board account only for SAT, you can go straight away to the ‘My SAT’ page to accept the fee waiver. If you have been marked as eligible, review the terms of the eligibility prompt and then click continue. Alternatively, if you have a 12 digit fee waiver code for SAT, enter it and click Submit. This is where the fee waiver is created to be used.

Conclusion

Students who are in need of financial assistance can avail of the SAT Fee Waiver. While the procedure and eligibility criteria are straightforward, the entire procedure of applying to universities and for a fee waiver can get a little daunting for the students. To simplify this process or for any assistance with college admissions, get in touch with a Study Abroad Expert at LeapScholar.

Frequently Asked Questions