The ACT fee waiver lets eligible 11th and 12th graders take the ACT for free, up to two times. It covers the registration fee plus the optional Science and Writing add-ons, and it comes with free prep, free extra score reports, and a form for requesting college application fee waivers. You qualify through financial need, and you get the waiver from your school counselor.
Everything below comes from ACT's fee waiver page and its 2026-2027 eligibility document. The next national test date you can still register for at the regular price is December 12, 2026, with a deadline of November 6.
Who Qualifies for an ACT Fee Waiver?
You have to meet all three of these requirements:
- You are currently enrolled in high school in 11th or 12th grade.
- You are testing in the United States, a US territory, or Puerto Rico.
- You meet at least one of ACT's indicators of economic need.
ACT lists five indicators of economic need. One is enough:
| Indicator of economic need | What it means |
|---|
| Free or reduced-price lunch | You are enrolled in a federal free or reduced-price lunch program at school, based on USDA income levels. |
| Program for the economically disadvantaged | You are enrolled in a program such as GEAR UP or Upward Bound. |
| Housing or care situation | You live in a foster home, are a ward of the state, or are homeless. |
| Public assistance or housing | Your family receives low-income public assistance or lives in federally subsidized public housing. |
| Family income | Your family's total annual income is at or below the USDA level for free or reduced-price lunches. |
One catch: taking part in a program is not enough if your family is not economically disadvantaged. ACT says a student who participates in a federal program but is not economically disadvantaged is not eligible. ACT can also audit schools and ask for written evidence of eligibility.
For the income indicator, the reduced-price line is 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. These are the annual limits in USDA's Income Eligibility Guidelines for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027:
| Household size | Annual income limit (48 contiguous states, DC, Guam, and territories) |
|---|
| 1 | $29,526 |
| 2 | $40,034 |
| 3 | $50,542 |
| 4 | $61,050 |
| 5 | $71,558 |
| 6 | $82,066 |
| 7 | $92,574 |
| 8 | $103,082 |
| Each additional person | Add $10,508 |
Alaska and Hawaii have higher limits. A family of four in most of the country qualifies on income at $61,050 a year or less. Your counselor makes the final call, so ask even if you are near the line or unsure which indicator fits you.
What the ACT Fee Waiver Covers
The waiver is worth more than the test fee. Here is the full package, with the price a paying student would see on ACT's current fee schedule:
| Benefit | What you get | Normal price |
|---|
| ACT registration | The registration fee for up to two ACT tests | $70 per test |
| Science add-on | Covered if you choose to take Science | $5 |
| Writing add-on | Covered if you choose to take Writing | $25 |
| Score reports at registration | One report to your high school and up to six college choices | Four colleges are included; ACT charges $20 for 5th and 6th college choices |
| Additional score reports | Free reports to colleges and scholarship agencies after your scores are available, as many as you need | $20 each |
| ACT My Answer Key | A copy of your test questions, your answers, and the answer key, on the test dates where it is offered | $36 before the test, $44 after |
| Official ACT Self-Paced Course | 30 video lessons, 2,000+ practice questions, and five full-length practice tests, with 1 year of access | Included automatically |
| College application fee form | A Request for Waiver or Deferral of College Admission Application Fee that you send to colleges | Varies by college |
A student who uses both waivers with Science and Writing gets $200 in test fees covered before counting anything else. The free score reports matter too: at $20 each they add up fast, and with a waiver you can see your results before deciding where to send them. Our guide on how to send ACT scores to colleges explains the steps.
Two notes on the extras. ACT My Answer Key is offered on four test dates a year. For 2026-27, ACT's My Answer Key page lists October 2026, December 2026, April 2027, and June 2027. And the college application fee form is a request, not a guarantee. ACT's document says colleges may consider it but are not obligated to waive or defer their fee. You send the form to the college, not to ACT, and you can use it as many times as you like.
What the ACT Fee Waiver Does Not Cover
ACT's 2026-27 document says the waiver cannot be used to pay for additional fees, products, or services. In practice, plan on paying these yourself:
| Not covered | Cost | How to avoid it |
|---|
| Change fee (new test date, test center, or test format) | $49 | Pick a date and center you are sure about. |
| Standby testing | $75 | Register before the late deadline. |
| A third ACT | $70 and up | You can use a maximum of two waivers. A third request is denied. |
| A test you already paid for | No refund | Get the waiver before you register. It cannot be applied afterward for a refund. |
The late registration fee ($42) is the unclear one. The eligibility document describes the waiver as covering the regular registration fee and says extra fees are not covered. ACT's registration page, in its note about moving a waiver to a new test date, says the waiver covers the test fee or late fee for your test option. Since ACT's own pages do not read the same way, treat the regular deadline as your deadline, and ask your counselor before counting on a waiver during the late period.
The rule that costs students the most is this one: a fee waiver counts as used the moment you register, even if you never show up. If you miss the test, you can move that registration to a later date, but you pay the $49 change fee out of pocket. Register for a date you can actually make.
How to Get an ACT Fee Waiver
ACT does not hand fee waivers to students directly. They are distributed to high schools, Upward Bound projects, and qualifying nonprofit organizations, and those officials give them to eligible students. The process has three steps.
- Ask your school counselor. Tell them you want to take the ACT and ask whether you are eligible for a fee waiver. If you are in Upward Bound or a similar program, your program advisor can also help.
- Get your waiver code. Once your counselor confirms you qualify, you can receive up to two waivers. Each has its own serial number.
- Enter the code when you register. Sign in to MyACT, choose your test date and test center, and enter the fee waiver code when you register. Any fee the waiver does not cover has to be paid by card before you submit. The self-paced course is added to your order automatically.
Ask early. ACT's document warns that fee waiver quantities are limited, and that once funds run out, schools can no longer order them and MyACT stops accepting the codes.
The waiver works for both formats. ACT confirms that students who qualify for a waiver on the paper test can use the same waiver for the online ACT.
ACT Fee Waiver Deadlines for 2026-27
The 2026-2027 waiver is good for registrations submitted online by August 31, 2027, for one national test date in this testing year. The dates still open are below, from ACT's test dates page.
| Test date | Regular deadline | Late deadline ($42 late fee) | First scores |
|---|
| December 12, 2026 | November 6 | November 29 | December 22 |
| February 27, 2027 | January 22 | February 9 | March 16 |
| April 10, 2027 | March 5 | March 23 | April 20 |
| June 12, 2027 | May 7 | May 25 | June 23 |
| July 10, 2027 | June 4 | June 22 | July 20 |
The October 17, 2026 test is no longer open for normal registration. Its regular deadline was September 11 and its late deadline was September 29. The only way in now is standby, which adds $75 to the test fee, is available for paper testing only, has to be requested by October 12, and does not guarantee a seat. For most students with a waiver, December 12 is the better plan.
Seniors should check application deadlines before choosing. December 12 scores start arriving December 22, which is too late for November early deadlines and in time for regular decision deadlines that fall in early January or later. See the full calendar on our ACT test dates page and the release schedule in when ACT scores come out.
Juniors have room to use both waivers well: one test in the spring of 11th grade and one in the fall of 12th grade is a common plan. ACT has no retake limit, and some colleges superscore, so a second attempt gives you another shot at each section. A 2026-27 waiver code has to be used by August 31, 2027, so for a test after that date, ask your counselor for a current waiver next school year. Our ACT superscore guide explains how that works.
How Much the ACT Costs Without a Waiver
For context, this is what the ACT costs in 2026-27 if you pay. All fees are nonrefundable unless ACT notes otherwise.
| Test option | Fee |
|---|
| ACT (English, Math, Reading) | $70 |
| ACT + Science | $75 |
| ACT + Writing | $95 |
| ACT + Science + Writing | $100 |
| Late registration | Add $42 |
| Change fee | $49 |
| Standby testing | Add $75 |
| Additional score reports | $20 each |
Every test option includes score reports for you, your high school, and up to four colleges if you enter the college codes when you register.
ACT Fee Waiver vs. SAT Fee Waiver
If you qualify for one, check the other too, because the criteria are similar. Both programs are for 11th and 12th graders, both use the federal lunch program income guidelines, and both give you two free tests. The details differ, according to College Board's SAT fee waiver benefits page and its SAT fee schedule.
| ACT fee waiver | SAT fee waiver |
|---|
| Free tests | Up to two | Two |
| Value of each test | $70 to $100, depending on add-ons | $68 |
| How you get it | Through your school counselor or a program such as Upward Bound | Through your school counselor, or by requesting it directly from College Board |
| Score reports | Six college choices at registration, then free additional reports | Unlimited score reports |
| Late registration fee | Unclear on ACT's pages. Register by the regular deadline. | Waived for your free tests |
| Cancellation or change fees | Change fee ($49) is not covered | Cancellation fees are waived. The $34 test center change fee is not listed as waived. |
| College application fees | A request form colleges may honor | Waived at participating colleges for seniors who have taken the SAT |
| Extras | Self-paced prep course and My Answer Key | Free CSS Profile applications |
Because the waivers are separate programs, you can use both and take each test twice for free. If you have not decided which test suits you, our guide on how to choose between the SAT and ACT can help, and how much the SAT costs covers the College Board side in detail.
Then prepare. Start with a free ACT practice test to find your baseline, then follow our plan for how to prep for the ACT.
Frequently Asked Questions About the ACT Fee Waiver
Who qualifies for an ACT fee waiver?
Students who are enrolled in 11th or 12th grade, are testing in the United States, a US territory, or Puerto Rico, and meet at least one indicator of economic need. The indicators include free or reduced-price lunch, programs such as GEAR UP or Upward Bound, foster care or homelessness, public assistance or subsidized housing, and family income at or below the USDA reduced-price lunch level.
How many ACT fee waivers can I get?
Two. ACT allows a maximum of two separate fee waivers per student, and any further request is denied.
How do I get an ACT fee waiver?
Ask your school counselor. If you are eligible, they give you a fee waiver code, and you enter it when you register in MyACT. ACT does not issue waivers to students directly.
Does the ACT fee waiver cover Science and Writing?
Yes. The waiver covers the registration fee plus the add-on fees for the optional Science and Writing tests.
What happens to my fee waiver if I miss the test?
The waiver is considered used once you register. You can apply it toward a later test date, but you have to pay the $49 change fee yourself.
Can sophomores get an ACT fee waiver?
No. ACT's 2026-27 requirements say you must currently be enrolled in 11th or 12th grade.
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