Application Fees Need To Be Illegal

They’re a scam, no matter where they come from

In a small town, a high school senior is applying to college. The kid is poor and feels guilty about asking their parents for money to apply. It’s the third college the kid applied to in a month. They shake as they hit “Submit” hoping this one accepts them.

Meanwhile, a single parent is applying for an apartment for their small children. They‘re already paying tons of money for childcare while they work. It’s the fourth apartment they’ve applied to this week.

Do you know what these two people have in common? There is no guarantee they’ll get accepted for what they’re applying for. Both people could be out hundreds of dollars and not get what they’re looking for.

Do you know what the worst part is? They won’t get their money back if they get rejected.

How are application fees still legal?

I applied to Grad school recently. I needed my resume, college transcripts, and a written statement saying why I’m a great pick. I needed three people to write a letter of recommendation too. After all of that, I had to pay $50 for the application.

$50 isn’t expensive to me, but it’s not something I toss around like a basketball. If I was a single parent with teenagers, I wouldn’t spend $50 so quickly.

No employer expects new applicants to pay to apply. Most people know it’s a scam. Even the Federal Trade Commission tells people don’t apply if they have to pay!

If The FTC doesn’t support paying to get a job, how come it’s okay to pay a fee for college? Or a home? How does it make sense?

Here’s how colleges justify application fees

I read a few articles about application fees in college. Some of the reasons I can barely see making sense. And there was one reason I thought it too stupid to be true.

I’ll start with the one that sounds the most logical to the most ridiculous. I say sounds logical because I’m not convinced it’s true.

• Colleges and universities are looking at tens of thousands of applications. They need highly trained admissions officers to do the job, so a small fee helps pay for it.
• Paying for the application shows you’re serious about going to that school.
• If colleges let people apply for free, then potential students would apply to hundreds of colleges and pick the best one for them.

We’re supposed to believe that an institution that invests billions of dollars in the NCAA and athletics because it’ll boost application numbers can’t pay admissions officers. No wonder many people think college is a scam! Poor business practices rub people the wrong way!

Yeah, there’s no way I can write these reasons without going on a sarcastic rant about them. So it’s in bullet-point.

What about apartments?

The college philosophy sounds like terrible investment practices. But when it comes to apartments? I get renting is a business, but do landlords need to create an insane amount of fees for profit?

All of the articles I read about application fees said the same thing. The fee goes towards screening the tenant. Landlords want to make sure they get their money, so the fees go towards credit and background checks. At least this reason’s consistent.

But here’s what they don’t tell you. Most states don’t have laws limiting how much a landlord can charge. You need to use common sense to figure out when you’re getting scammed.

Most apartment complexes will charge anywhere from $20 to $50 depending on state laws and trust. But in case you’re wondering, here are the states that have laws for application fees.

• California: Based on Consumer Price Index, or CPI.
• Delaware: $50 or 10% of monthly rent. (Whatever costs more.)
• Massachusetts: You can only charge an application fee if you’re a licensed broker.
• Minnesota: The fee can’t cost more than the screening.
• New York: The fee can’t be over $20 and has to be waived if a new tenant brings a credit report done in the past month.
• Virginia: Can’t cost more than $50.
• Wisconsin: Can’t cost more than screening.

Seven states are looking out for applicants. The others are hoping new tenants don’t have much common sense.

Sometimes, a new tenant gets lucky, and the landlord refunds them if they choose not to take the person. Sometimes it goes towards your security deposit or your first month’s rent. Most of the time, it’s money you don’t get back, regardless of what happens.

For being for the people, the most progressive politician isn’t talking about it

$50 bucks could be the difference between paying a bill and making sure you eat. Do you know how many people have to choose between paying the bills and eating? Add an application fee to that, and it’s too much.

I see politicians talking about corporate greed and how disgusting the cost of college and rent is. Yet no one talks about needing to pay to apply for education or shelter.

To quote the people berating people for liking their Starbucks and other coffee shops, “The little costs add up.” But I know how people react when I mention that.

“It’s part of being an adult!”

“It’s how it is!”

“We all had to do it! It’s not that bad!”

You’d think the more progressive politicians would talk about this issue more, but they don’t. Even Bernie Sanders is quiet about it. Is it because the fee seems small? Or is it because these institutions are businesses?

Whatever the situation, we should start talking about it.

There is a silver lining in these situations

I know I wrote this article as another way of showing how profits will always have more value than people. However, I see some small changes.

I don’t see much change for apartments, but I see more colleges getting rid of their application fees. One school saw a 40% increase in applications when they got rid of their application fee in 2016! Imagine how many more applicants schools could receive if they made it easier for lower-income applicants to apply!

We’re talking about the US though, so the change will be glacial-slow. But the more colleges report benefits to getting rid of application fees, the better for new students.

As for apartments, it’s up to the states. I don’t think we’ll see a national law in our time. But if more states start cracking down on rental greed, we can see change for the better.

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