What is Texas Free College Application Week and Why Does It Matter?

The first ever Texas Free College Application Week is October 13-19, 2025. During this week all Texas public colleges, including the University of Texas at Austin and A&M College Station, will accept applications via the ApplyTexas website at no charge.

The fee waiver will save families about $75 per application, but it also effectively moves up the deadline for competitive public colleges to the second week of October. Students can still apply after the Free College Week deadline, but they will face worse odds given the mechanics of the rolling admissions cycle.

Who’s Covered and How to Take Advantage of the Law

Application fees typically cost around $40-$75, peaking at $90 per school, which can add up quickly if a student applies broadly. Texas’s Free Application Week gives every, would-be undergraduate a chance to apply to any public university or community college at no cost.

Here are the key features from the law and THECB guidelines to follow:

• Only Texas residents applying for undergraduate admission are eligible.
• Waivers apply only to applications made through ApplyTexas, the state’s centralized application portal.
• Applications must be submitted in full by 11:59 p.m. CST on Sunday the 19th.
• Graduate students and out-of-state applicants are not included.

Institutions Included

Every public university and community college in Texas must honor the waiver. This means applications for all schools, from highly respected state universities like UT Austin and Texas A&M to regional universities and local community colleges, will be free during this week.

How to Use the Fee Waiver

1. Complete your application through ApplyTexas.
2. Submit before the Sunday deadline during that week; unfinished applications won’t count.
3. Save confirmations and check your ApplyTexas dashboard to ensure the waiver applied correctly.

Best Ways to Take Advantage

1. Build your college list in ApplyTexas’ School Search
2. Prep materials now:
   1. personal essays and short answers,
   2. activities list or résumé,
   3. unofficial transcript,
   4. standardized test scores (or test-optional plan), and
   5. ask for recommendation letters.
3. Use ApplyTexas’s Application guide for a timeline and preparation outline to elevate your readiness. 

Why You Should Apply on or Before Free College Applications Week

If you apply during the fee-waiver week, you’ll save money, but you’ll also improve your chances of admission. Texas Free College Application Week encourages more students to apply to colleges sooner rather than waiting so they can take advantage of the waived application fee. This creates a “soft-deadline” as an informal application submission date. 

For example, Texas A&M accepts applications from August until March, however, far fewer slots in the rising freshmen class will be available in March than in August. This means that if the same student applied in March and in August, they would be more likely to be accepted into the university in August. In fact, Texas A&M caps admissions, which means once they’ve accepted a certain number of students they have no more spots available. 

Aside from ease of entry, there are other benefits to applying to colleges early. Early submission not only reduces stress but also increases access to opportunities such as scholarships and housing making this initiative especially valuable for Texas students. 

Reasons to Apply Early:

1. Better chances for admission: Some colleges review applications on a rolling basis, so early applicants may have a higher likelihood of acceptance before spaces fill up.
2. Access to more scholarships: Many merit- and need-based scholarships have priority or early deadlines tied to the application date.
3. Priority housing selection: Early applicants often get first pick for on-campus housing, which can make a big difference in location and quality of dorm options.
4. More time for corrections: Submitting early gives students a buffer in case transcripts, recommendations, or test scores need to be updated or corrected.
5. Reduced stress: Getting applications in ahead of time avoids last-minute pressure, technical glitches, or missed deadlines.
6. Demonstrated interest: Some colleges track “demonstrated interest,” and early application submission signals a strong motivation to attend.
7. Flexibility for other tasks: Students who finish early can shift focus to financial aid forms (FAFSA/TASFA), scholarship essays, or preparing for standardized tests.

How to Reuse ApplyTexas Essays on the CommonApp

If you’re an accomplished Texas student applying to UT Austin and A&M College Station, you’re probably also going to apply to out of state schools. As such, you should start your application process with ApplyTexas so that you can take advantage of the fee waivers and then finish up out of state with the Common App.

With just a little bit of planning, you can save yourself hours of essay writing by reusing your response across multiple applications. As you can see from the essay options below for UT, A&M, and the CommonApp, the smart play is to start with ApplyTexas’s “Tell us your story” prompt, which you can use at UT, A&M, and the CommonApp schools.

Outside of the essay, you’ll have to reenter your basic info on both platforms, which is annoying but will probably only take an hour or so.

University of Texas at Austin ApplyTexas Essay Prompts 2025-2026

UT has three options available on ApplyTexas, but only the first one can be reused for A&M. All three can be reused on the CommonApp.

1. Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
2. Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.
3. You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

Texas A&M University College Station ApplyTexas Essay Prompts 2025-2026

Unlike UT, A&M has only one essay choice, which is the same as UT’s choice 1 and can still be reused on the CommonApp as 1, 2, or 7:

1. Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

CommonApp Essay Prompts 2025-2026

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

ApplyTexas vs CommonApp 2025

How to Apply to UT Austin and Texas A&M

When preparing to apply to Texas public schools during the free applications week, students should take into account the demand for certain schools and how it will be affected by the changes. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University will likely feel the greatest effects from this new bill; they are already some of the most applied to colleges in the country, and this will likely increase those numbers further. Here’s what you should prepare for in applying to these schools: 

UT vs A&M Applications 2025

Comparing UT Austin and Texas A&M

Both UT Austin and Texas A&M have similar application requirements and popular demands of attendance. Lets compare these schools to see how the effects of Free College Application Week are expected to strengthen both of these aspects:

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin accepts both ApplyTexas and Common App for application submissions. They require Essay A (“Tell us your story”) as well as at least two short answers on your major, experiences, and future goals. Students should be prepared to write thoughtful, specific responses: UT Austin is highly competitive, and unique, strong applicants are preferred. While UT Austin does not have rolling nor capped admissions, their application volume means that applicants should submit as soon as possible. This is going to become more necessary 

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University also accepts both ApplyTexas and Common App and requires Essay A. Unlike UT Austin, Texas A&M has rolling and capped admissions, and no supplemental essays are required to apply unless specified for some programs. With the volume of applicants they receive annually through rolling admissions, students should prioritize this application in order to have a better shot at entry. 

How to Build a Strong Application for Any College

The quality of your application will stand out in the large group of applicants if done in a way that is personal, concise, interesting, and proves your benefit to the schools you’re trying to attend. Here are strategies to strengthen your college application:

Academics

• Aim for rigor: take AP, IB, or dual-credit courses if available.
• Emphasize strong grades in core subjects.
• If your transcript shows improvement, highlight it in essays.

Essays

• Treat Essay A as your chance to showcase character, resilience, and goals.
• Use vivid detail and reflection–don’t just narrate events, explain their meaning.
• Tailor short answers to connect your background with the university’s values. Students are more likely to be accepted when they show that they want to be a part of the school’s specific student body. 

Extracurriculars

• Focus on sustained commitment and leadership. Admissions officers prefer depth (e.g., leading one club for three years) over scattered involvement.
• Show measurable impact: fundraising totals, event participation, or other tangible results.

Recommendations

• Ask teachers or mentors who know you well.
• Provide them with a short resume so they can highlight your achievements that benefit your application the most.

Resume & Activities List

• Use action verbs and numbers where possible. “Led team to raise $2,000” stands out more than “helped with fundraising.”
• Organize activities by importance and relevance, not just chronology.

Test Scores

• Many Texas schools are test-optional. While Texas A&M remains this way after the pandemic, UT Austin upholds its mandatory submission of either the SAT or ACT. 
• Submit scores only if they strengthen your profile, but talk to your college advisor further about including average scores in your application. Oftentimes, submitting something benefits applicants in their acceptances compared to those who submitted nothing.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

• Submit FAFSA or TASFA early.
• Track institutional scholarship deadlines, which may come earlier than admission deadlines.

Application Logistics

• Start early: October is now the new submission target date.
• Confirm all materials (transcripts, test scores, recommendations) are received.
• Log in regularly to each school’s portal for updates.