If cost is a reason you have not registered, read this before you decide anything. Fee waivers exist for both tests, the eligibility is broader than most students assume, and the benefits extend well past the exam itself.
Who qualifies
Criteria are similar for both tests. You generally qualify if any one of these applies:
- You are enrolled in or eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program
- Your family income falls within the federal income eligibility guidelines
- You are enrolled in a federal, state or local program that supports students from low-income families, such as Upward Bound
- You live in federally subsidised housing, in a foster home, or are a ward of the state
- You are homeless or unaccompanied
- Your family receives public assistance
Meeting one is enough. You do not need to meet several.
How to get one
For most students it is a conversation with your school counselor, who can issue a waiver directly. If you are homeschooled or not in school, both testing organizations have a route through a community organization or agency.
It is worth being direct about this: counselors issue these routinely and are not judging you for asking. The awkwardness of the conversation is almost always smaller than students expect, and it is a two-minute one.
What it actually covers
This is the part that gets missed. A fee waiver is not just a free test.
- The test fee, usually for more than one sitting.
- Score reports to colleges, typically unlimited rather than the small free allowance everyone else gets.
- The optional sections where applicable.
- College application fee waivers. This is the big one.
The order to do things in
- Ask your counselor about a waiver before you register for anything. Registering first and asking later is messier.
- Register using the waiver code rather than paying and hoping to reclaim.
- Use your score sends. Unlimited reports is a real benefit and it expires with your eligibility.
- Ask specifically about application fee waivers when you start applying. They are a separate step and nobody will chase you about them.
If you do not qualify but money is still tight
Preparation, at least, costs nothing. The official practice material from both testing organizations is free, Khan Academy's SAT practice is free, and a complete free preparation plan is genuinely achievable. Paid courses buy structure and accountability, not secret content.