SAT Fee Waivers (2026)

Full SAT Cost Breakdown

The SAT registration fee is approximately $60 for most national test dates. Here is every fee you might encounter across your SAT testing journey.

1 Attempt vs. 2 Attempts vs. 3 Attempts: Total Cost

The SAT fee waiver covers 2 registrations, making 2 attempts free. Here is how costs accumulate across different scenarios — with and without a fee waiver.

The SAT Fee Waiver at a Glance

College Board's SAT fee waiver program is designed for economically disadvantaged US high school students. It provides significant benefits that go beyond just the test registration fee.

Who Qualifies for a SAT Fee Waiver?

SAT fee waivers are available to 11th and 12th grade students in the United States who meet at least one of the following eligibility criteria:

Income-Based Eligibility

• National School Lunch Program (NSLP) / Free or Reduced Price Lunch: Enrolled in or eligible for free or reduced-price school meals through the federal school lunch program
• Annual family income within federal income eligibility guidelines: Household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level

Program-Based Eligibility

• Foster care: Student is in foster care, ward of the state, or currently homeless
• Federal TRIO programs: Enrolled in or eligible for federal TRIO programs, including Upward Bound, Talent Search, or Student Support Services
• Migrant education program: Enrolled in a state or federally funded migrant education program
• English Language Learner programs: Participating in certain ELL support programs in your school
• Family receives public assistance: Family receives support through means-tested federal benefit programs

Grade Level

You must be in 11th or 12th grade to use a SAT fee waiver. Waivers are not available for students in grades 9 or 10, or for students who have already graduated from high school.

What Is Covered by the SAT Fee Waiver

Test registrations (2 free SATs)

The fee waiver covers registration fees for 2 SAT test dates. Each waiver covers:

• Standard SAT registration fee (~$60) — fully waived
• Late registration surcharge (~$34 extra) — NOT covered by fee waiver; register before the standard deadline

Score sends (4 free sends per waiver)

Each fee waiver also provides 4 additional free official score sends to colleges or universities. This is on top of the 4 free sends already included with standard SAT registration.

• Standard SAT registration includes 4 free score sends
• A fee waiver adds 4 more free sends = up to 8 total free score sends per registration
• Fee waivers can be used across 2 registrations for a maximum of 16 free score sends total

College application fee waivers

Many colleges and universities accept the SAT fee waiver as proof of financial need and will waive their own application fees. Common College Application, Common App, and Coalition App all facilitate this process. List of participating schools is available at collegeboard.org.

What is NOT covered

• The SAT School Day version (administered by your school) is free regardless of waiver status in most states
• SAT Subject Tests (now discontinued)
• Score review / score verification fees
• Requests for Question and Answer Service (QAS)
• Late registration surcharge — always register before the standard deadline to avoid this $34 fee

How to Apply for a SAT Fee Waiver

The SAT fee waiver process is deliberately simple. College Board relies on school counselors to verify eligibility and distribute waivers — you do not apply directly to College Board.

1. 1
   Talk to your school counselor

   Go to your school counselor or college advisor and ask about SAT fee waivers. They will confirm whether you meet eligibility requirements based on your enrollment in qualifying programs or family income information they have on file.

2. 2
   Receive your fee waiver

   Your counselor will provide you with a fee waiver. This may be a printed certificate, a unique code, or instructions for how to claim it during SAT registration. The format varies by school — ask your counselor how it works at your school.

3. 3
   Register for the SAT using the fee waiver

   Go to collegeboard.org/sat and create a College Board account if you do not have one. When registering for a test date, enter your fee waiver code or follow the instructions your counselor provided. The registration fee will be waived at checkout.

4. 4
   Use free score sends when sending scores

   When sending your scores after the test, apply your fee waiver to cover the cost of up to 4 additional score sends. This can be done through your College Board account during the score sending process.

5. 5
   Request college application fee waivers

   When applying to colleges, indicate that you have an SAT fee waiver. On Common App and other platforms, there is a field to indicate fee waiver status — most colleges will automatically waive their application fee.

School-Day SAT: Free Testing in Many States

In addition to the fee waiver for national test-day SAT registrations, many states administer the SAT to all 11th graders during the school day — completely free of charge for students.

• States currently administering a free school-day SAT include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and West Virginia, among others
• School-day testing is administered at your school with no registration required from students — your school handles all logistics
• School-day SAT is a full, official SAT — the score is real and counts for college applications
• Your counselor will inform you of your state's school-day SAT schedule early in the year
• If your state provides a free school-day SAT, you may still choose to take a national test-day SAT additionally using a fee waiver if you want to retake

Free Score Sends: Strategy

Even with a fee waiver, strategic use of your free score sends is important. Additional sends cost $12 each.

• Without a fee waiver: 4 free sends included with each SAT registration. Must be designated within 9 days of the test.
• With a fee waiver: 4 additional free sends per registration = up to 8 free sends per test date.
• Score sends cannot be cancelled once ordered; designate carefully
• Score Choice is available — you can choose which test date to send
• Send scores to reach schools, match schools, and safety schools simultaneously
• If you have 2 fee-waiver registrations, that is a maximum of 16 total free score sends across both test dates

Minimize Cost Without a Fee Waiver

If you do not qualify for a fee waiver, these strategies reduce your total SAT costs.

Budget Planning for the SAT

Other Free and Reduced-Cost Testing Options

SAT Weekend Tests at No Cost (Some States)

Beyond state-mandated school-day testing, some school districts and community organizations sponsor free or subsidized national test-day SAT registrations for students who do not qualify for the fee waiver but face financial barriers. Ask your school counselor or check with your district's college access programs.

Khan Academy Free SAT Prep

College Board partners with Khan Academy to offer free, personalized SAT preparation. Students who connect their College Board account to Khan Academy receive a tailored prep program based on their PSAT or SAT scores. This is completely free and has been shown to improve scores significantly for students who engage consistently.

Fee Waivers for the Digital SAT

The digital SAT (now the standard format) is taken on Bluebook software on a school-provided or personal device. No additional software or hardware costs are required. The fee waiver covers the same registration cost as always — digital format does not change the fee structure.

Common Questions

Can I get a fee waiver if I was not in an eligible program last year?

Eligibility is based on your current status as an 11th or 12th grader. If you are currently in a qualifying program (NSLP, foster care, TRIO, etc.) or meet current income guidelines, you qualify now — even if your circumstances changed recently. Ask your counselor.

Do fee waivers expire?

Fee waivers are issued for a specific school year and expire. They must be used during the academic year they are issued (typically the 11th or 12th grade year). They do not carry over to the following year. Use your waivers before you graduate.

Can homeschooled students get fee waivers?

Homeschooled students who meet financial eligibility requirements can receive fee waivers, but they must work with an eligible school or program to obtain one. Contact College Board directly if you are homeschooled and cannot access a waiver through a school.