Partnership With NYC Public Schools Provides “Welcome to CUNY” Letters and Application Fee Waivers to High School Seniors 

Overall Applications Up 13% Year-to-Date

The City University of New York recently announced that it received 55,050 freshman applications during its fee waiver campaign, which ran between October 21 and November 15. This marks a 62% increase compared to last year’s inaugural fee waiver period. During this period, CUNY also sent letters to New York City high school seniors, accepting them to community colleges and encouraging them to apply to senior colleges. Overall applications to the University are up by 13% year-to-date. 

“By providing high school seniors with acceptance letters and fee waivers, we’re reminding them that a college education is not just available but waiting for them,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “The latest application figures demonstrate the value of CUNY’s partnership with NYC Public Schools, which we look forward to building on to ensure every New York City student has access to higher education.” 

More than 80% of CUNY freshmen come from the NYC Public Schools system but statistics show that 26% of NYC high school students don’t enroll in college right after graduation, including many Black and Latino students. Against this background, the letters – which are part of Gov. Hochul’s statewide effort to end inequities in higher education – offer admission to a CUNY community college, information about CUNY’s four-year colleges and highlight the University’s diversity, affordability and quality. Also included is a link to the CUNY Net Price Calculator allowing students to estimate their eligibility for grants, loans and scholarships. 

The increase in applications follows Chancellor Matos Rodríguez’s State of the University Address announcement that total enrollment at CUNY grew 3%, the University’s second consecutive yearly increase. The jump, totaling almost 15,000 students over the past two years, was driven by a 4% increase in new graduate student enrollment – the first in four years – and a 6% increase at CUNY’s community colleges, which were hit hardest by pandemic-induced declines. 

– Story Courtesy of CUNY Media Relations