As graduation approaches, the first thought of any senior is of posing for the traditional picture on Abe’s lap. But once the excitement has faded, reality sets in as students evaluate their post-graduation options. The future starts looking a lot more unpleasant, especially for anyone interested in grad school.

For many, entering into a job is the next step. But for some, it’s graduate school, although the cost of applying to graduate school can prevent many from obtaining the degree they want. Some students may choose not to apply to graduate schools purely based off the application cost.

Application cost is often an after thought when a student begins to think of applying to graduate schools. More often than not, the initial consideration is toward how much tuition for graduate school might total. But when the time comes and the process of applying is imminent, the cost becomes a greater obstacle to overcome.

With college applications, most public universities require a payment in the double digits to apply. While many of us applied to be undergraduates years ago, some are very familiar with the price tag that comes with a higher education. For example, the cost of applying to University of Wisconsin is $50.

The application for graduate schools is much more intensive. To begin, there is the Graduate Record Examination, which costs $190 to take. Along with this expense are the costs associated with sending official transcripts and any additional materials required, as well as the cost of applying to the school itself.

These costs can start to pile up, depending on how many universities a student applies to. Pair this with the debt accumulated from three to five years of an undergraduate degree, and it can be a staggering fee.

The largest issue with the cost of applying to graduate school is arguably the lack of funding that is offered to help potential students apply to graduate programs, even though, in some cases, there is the possibility to request the school to waive the application fee.

While this is a solution to the cost of applying, it isn’t a guarantee and often only encompasses the price of the application itself as opposed to the supplementary materials that accompany it.

On top of the student loans they may have already accumulated, taking out more loans or borrowing more money to apply can ultimately deter some students from applying altogether.

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Overall, fees associated with applications shouldn’t be necessary. The process needs to be reworked so that applicants will not be deterred merely by cost alone.

Applying to graduate school and the associated costs never make for a good situation for prospective students. Either they must borrow money to apply for graduate programs, put their education on hold in order to work and build up their funds or, in the worst case, abandon these dreams altogether.

Hannah Fricke ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in microbiology.