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Talk of the Town and the Commonwealth: Virginia College Application Weeks at UMW, Oct. 19-30

For Virginia high school seniors, the last two weeks of October offer a chance to take an important step toward college — for free. During Virginia College Application Weeks, Oct. 19-30, 2026, the University of Mary Washington will waive its application fee for students who apply through the Common App using the code VCAW.

The statewide initiative, Virginia College Application Weeks, brings together the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), Virginia colleges and universities, and national education nonprofit ECMC to help students navigate the college application process. Now in its 10th year, the initiative is expanding to two weeks and reaching numerous high schools across the Commonwealth.

This year, the opportunity is also the talk of the town in UMW’s hometown of Fredericksburg. UMW Dean of Admissions and Associate Vice President Melissa Yakabouski and Director of First-Year Admissions Sarah Lindberg recently took to the airwaves on Town Talk with Ted Schubel to offer advice to prospective students and their families.

“This is really about finding a good fit for the student and making sure that they can be successful academically, that they are going to find a community that is going to support them, that is going to provide them with a lot of different experiences,” Yakabouski said on the program.

That focus on fit is especially important when waived application fees can make it tempting to add more colleges to the list. Yakabouski encouraged students to be thoughtful about where they apply. “It is certainly not a contest to be won,” she said. “It is a match to be made.”

Virginia College Application Weeks offers students at under-resourced Virginia high schools support and guidance as they apply to at least one college or other postsecondary institution. The initiative is part of the Level Up Virginia campaign, which helps high school seniors build college knowledge, navigate the application process and explore financial aid options as they prepare for enrollment.

UMW will host a webinar focused on that final step. Filing Your FAFSA takes place Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 6 to 7 p.m., offering guidance on completing the application and a live Q&A to address specific questions.

Completing both college applications and the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) can help students move forward with a clearer picture of their college options and the financial aid that may be available to them.

Students and families can also learn about upcoming UMW financial aid webinars, including Paying for College 101 and Financial Aid Roadmap: What’s Next?, through UMW’s virtual programming.

Ready to take the next step? Start an application to the University of Mary Washington through the Common App and apply for free during Virginia College Application Weeks, Oct. 19-30, using the code VCAW.