Next week is Montana College Application Week at the University of Montana and UM Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success Sharon O’Hare said during this week, the university will defer the application fee for high school seniors who apply, collecting the fee later only for those students who attend UM.

"The purpose of College Application Week is to encourage as many Montana residents, particularly high school seniors to apply to a state of Montana college," O'Hare said. "We have reached out to every high school senior in the state, we've reached out to every high school counselor in the state with postcards, with emails, with ads; What we really want to do is encourage students to take advantage of opportunity to defer their college application fee."

Students who are Pell-eligible and attend UM will automatically have the entire fee waived.

O’Hare said she saw a big uptick in applications to UM last year, which she believes was because of the deferred application fee.

"All they have to do is start an application," O'Hare said. "We prefer that they do it online just so that it's an easier process. But don't hit the submit button until November 3. Sometime during that week, their application will be deferred and we won't be asking them for it at any time in the near future."

The application fee also will be deferred or waived for students wishing to transfer or who have already graduated from high school.

Normally, an application fee is $36 for UM. College Application Week will run from Monday through Friday, Nov. 3-7.

Sharon O'Hare:

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