Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) have announced Free College Application Week, scheduled for October 13-19, 2025. The initiative allows Texas residents to apply to public colleges and universities without paying application fees.
“Texas prioritizes opportunities for students to pursue the best education they need to succeed in high demand, good-paying jobs after graduation,” said Governor Abbott. “During free college application week, Texans can apply to their preferred colleges or universities without application fees. By supporting our students today, we are investing in a stronger Texas tomorrow.”
Free College Application Week was established by Senate Bill 2231 during the 89th Texas Legislative Session. Under this law, all public colleges and universities in Texas must waive admission application fees for state residents applying through ApplyTexas to undergraduate programs.
The initiative works alongside My Texas Future, ApplyTexas, and the Direct Admissions program to make college more accessible and affordable for students in Texas. These tools are intended to help streamline the process of searching for colleges and achieving higher education goals.
“In addition to the cost savings, combined with other tools available to Texans for planning and achieving educational and career goals, free application week removes a barrier so more students can take their first step toward higher education,” said THECB Commissioner Wynn Rosser.
This is the first year of Free College Application Week. In future years, it will take place during the second full week of October from Monday through Sunday.
All Texas residents seeking undergraduate admission at public institutions via ApplyTexas are eligible. This includes both first-time college applicants and transfer students. Details on residency status are outlined in the Texas Residency Guidelines.
My Texas Future is an online resource that helps Texans find information about postsecondary opportunities. It offers personalized features such as career quizzes and comparisons of local careers based on demand, salary, required education, and related skills. Users can also compare credential programs by tuition costs, location, and expected earnings after graduation.
Direct Admissions enables students to receive a list of participating Texas institutions where they qualify for acceptance before starting their applications. By submitting academic information through their My Texas Future profile—such as class rank, GPA, and standardized test scores—students can access this list as early as the end of their junior year.
