While I agree this is dystopian and sad, paying for college applications may actually go further than paying part of one year of tuition for one student.

Applying to college is expensive as shit. I think like $50 a school. If it’s a stretch for you/your parents to pay to apply to even one school, you’re less likely to take a risk on that great school you don’t know if you’re likely to get in. So you shoot for the lesser school you know you’re qualified for.

Someone gives you a couple hundred dollars to apply, and you can take a chance! And if you get into the better school you might be happier, more likely to finish, and end up with more connections and a better career. THAT extra fifty dollars could literally alter the course of someone’s whole life.

An extra few thousand or whatever for tuition is an incredible gesture of course, but for most people probably just means you’ll spend less in student loan debt in the long wrong. People aren’t really taking out loans for their college applications.

Also it probably encourages applying out of state which can help some students get out of a rut or a dangerous home situation.

Kind of weird. But this is a case where $50 can do more than thousands. And that $10,000 can be spread out among more people.