Help Students Save on Costs and Fees for the SAT® and ACT®
The ACT® and SAT® have a reputation for being an expensive part of the college application process. There are a number of different fees and costs associated with registering for the tests, receiving scores, and accessing post-test analysis.
However, not all of these fees are essential. In fact, you can help your students save on these costs with some simple and practical suggestions.
To start with, you need to be familiar with all the potential test expenses your students are faced with. Needless to say, being up-to-date on this information is critical when speaking with potential or existing clients.
ACT® Fees and Costs
The ACT® offers two full tests (both include the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections) to choose from: the Full ACT® Test (with Writing) and the Full ACT® Test (without Writing).
The significant difference between these two options is the Writing section - an essay with a 40 minute time limit for completion.
Required ACT® Services Costs
The breakdown of the required ACT® Test costs is pretty straightforward. There are currently only two ACT® Test Registration options:
Full ACT® (NO Writing): $60
Full ACT® (WITH Writing): $85
Each option includes 6 score reports total: 1 for the student, 1 for their high school, and 1 for up to 4 colleges. The registration fee can also be waived for qualifying students (more on this later).
Remember, choosing from one of these two options is required, and the fees are nonrefundable. Be sure to check the ACT® Fees page for the most up-to-date prices.
Optional ACT® Services Costs
The ACT® also offers several additional services as part of test registration. These services may prove to be a benefit for some students, but an unnecessary cost for others. Be sure to advise your students on what these additional services actually include, whether or not you as their tutor find any of them to be helpful to your clients, and at what prices they’ll have to pay to receive them.
Here are the current additional services and their fees, according to the ACT® Fees page:
Test Option Change: $25
This fee is charged if a student chooses to change from the full ACT® (NO Writing) to the ACT® (WITH Writing).
This fee is refundable upon written request if the student is absent on test day or switches to the ACT® (NO Writing) before the start of testing.
Late Registration: $36
This fee is charged if a student registers or changes their test date during the late period for registration.
Standby Testing: $57
This fee is charged if a student has missed the late deadline for registration.
Standby testing is a non-guaranteed chance for the student to test. This fee is refundable if the student is denied admission on test day.
Change Fee: $40
This fee is charged if a student makes a change to either their registered test date or test center.
Score Reports for 5th and 6th Colleges: $16 total
This fee is charged if a student chooses to purchase additional score reports.
Reports can be requested online prior to testing.
This fee is refundable upon written request if the student does not test.
Additional Score Reports: $16 / per report
This fee is charged if a student requests additional score reports..
These reports can be purchased online after test registration.
Test Information Release: $30
This fee is charged if a student wishes to receive a copy of their multiple-choice test questions, a list of their answers, a copy of their answer document, and an answer key.
If the writing test was taken, this fee also includes a copy of the writing prompt, scoring rubric, and test scores.
Be advised: Test Information Release is not offered to everyone. Be sure to read over the terms beforehand to make sure that your students know whether or not they qualify for this service.
It is important to note that none of these optional fees are covered under ACT® fee waivers.
SAT® Fees and Costs
Unlike the ACT®, the SAT® only offers one test choice. As of June 2021, both the SAT® Test with Essay and the SAT® Subject Tests are no longer being offered. Even so, it is still important to review with your students the cost of the SAT®, as well as the additional services offered and their fees, to be sure that your students fully understand what their options are.
Required SAT® Services Costs
The SAT® Test registration fee is the only required cost for this test. The current SAT® registration fee, according to the College Board, is $55. This cost includes up to 4 score reports. Like the ACT®, there is a fee waiver available for students who qualify.
Optional SAT® Services Costs
The College Board also offers additional services for students who have registered to take the SAT®. Be sure to review these services with your students to help them evaluate whether or not they are applicable to their registration and score-reporting needs.
Here are the additional services and their fees, according to the College Board:
Change Registration: $25
This fee is charged if a student changes test centers.
Cancel Registration: $25
This fee is charged if a student cancels their registration by the scheduled change deadline.
Late Cancel Registration: $35
This fee is charged if a student cancels their registration after the scheduled change deadline.
Late Registration: $30
This fee is charged if a student registers after the scheduled deadline, but before the late registration deadline.
Waitlist Fee: $53
This fee is charged if a student has missed the late deadline for registration. Waitlisting is a non-guaranteed chance for the student to test.
This fee is refundable if the student is denied admission on test day.
NOTE: Waitlist registration is not available for 2021.
Additional Score Report Request: $12*
This fee is charged if a student chooses to purchase additional score reports.
Rush Order: $31
This fee is charged if a student chooses to have their score reports sent to their colleges of choice within 1-2 business days.
Scores Released by Phone: $15 / per call
This fee is charged if a student would like to receive their scores by phone.
Archived Scores: $31
This fee is charged if a student chooses to purchase their old test scores.
Question-And-Answer (QAS) Service: $16*
This fee gives students copies of the test questions, correct answers, scoring instructions, and a form used for a copy of the student’s answer sheet from a specified test.
This is refundable if the order has not yet been fulfilled or if the student missed their test date.
Student Answer Service: $16*
This service includes a list of question types, the answers provided by the student (whether correct, incorrect, or omitted), and the level of difficulty from a specified test.
This is refundable if the order has not yet been fulfilled or if the student missed their test date.
Multiple Choice Hand-Score Verification: $55*
Fee is charged if a student chooses to have their answer sheet manually reviewed.
*Fee Waivers available for this cost
Advice on How to Reduce the Cost of the ACT® and SAT®
Prepping for college-readiness can be financially overwhelming for students, regardless of their fiscal situations. Offering your students advice on how to navigate their registration and avoid needless costs can potentially relieve a huge burden of stress for them and their families, leaving them in a better headspace to focus on what’s really important - test prep!
Here are a few helpful pieces of cost-saving advice to share with your clients:
Register early
This may seem unnecessary to most students - particularly those who procrastinate until right before a deadline - but registering early can avoid racking up some pretty hefty fees.
Not only will signing up for a test early help students sidestep those pricey late fees, but it will give them the opportunities to choose the best test date and test center options for them. The longer students wait to register, the more likely those seats will be filled.
It should also go without saying that once registration is out of the way and test day is on the calendar, a personalized test-prep plan can be mapped out.
Utilize those free score reports!
Both the ACT® and SAT® offer up to 4 free score reports to be sent to the 4 colleges of the student’s choosing at the time of registration.
Taking advantage of the option of sending those free score reports to 4 chosen colleges (either at the time of registration or up to 9 days after test day) means that students typically won’t need to purchase any additional score reports, saving them $12/ a score report.
Apply for fee waivers (if eligible)
The ACT® and College Board both offer fee waivers for students who qualify.
The ACT® Fee Waiver includes:
4 free ACTs® (with or without Writing)
Free access to The Official ACT® self-paced course
Free additional score reports: 1 report for high school and up to 6 reports for the colleges of the student’s choosing
Unlimited free score reports, after registration
Free college application fees, upon request of a Waiver or Deferral of College Admission Applications Fee
For more on ACT® Fee Waiver Eligibility and additional details, visit the ACT’s® Fee Waiver Program page.
The SAT® Fee Waiver includes:
2 free SATs®
2 free Answer Services
Unlimited score reports sent to the colleges of the student’s choosing
Waived application fees for colleges participating in the Fee Waiver program
Free CSS Profile (information gathered for financial aid purposes) for students to apply for financial aid from participating colleges and programs
Reduced fee for score verification reports
No late registration fees (applicable for the 2 free SATs®)
No cancellation fees
For more on SAT® Fee Waiver Eligibility and additional details, visit the College Board’s SAT® Fee Waivers page.
Take advantage of tutor-driven test analysis services
If your students can get a copy of their questions and answers, you can offer an analysis service of your own. What’s more, breaking down a student’s test-day performance is a critical component of an effective, personalized retake plan. As such, offering students a personalized test analysis can be a value-add for your test-prep brand that also reduces test-taking costs for your clients.
Registration is just the first step on the path to successful ACT® or SAT® test prep, but it is one of the most important. Furthermore, from a test-prep marketing perspective, once a student is officially registered for a test, they are more likely to commit to their test-prep plan. The financial investment is made and there is suddenly a hard deadline for getting the most out of their tutoring sessions, studying, and personalized practice opportunities.
For a first-hand look at how Clear Choice’s 100% white-label test-prep program and materials can help your students get the most bang for their buck, click below to schedule a free demo of our comprehensive test-prep platform!
