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NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans is waiving application fees for prospective students from the metro area.

Applicants from Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist and St. Tammany parishes will no longer have to pay fees while applying.

“The University of New Orleans is credited with having built the middle class in New Orleans,” UNO President John Nicklow said. “We want to be the first-choice university for as many of our local students as possible. We realize that applying to college can be expensive for students and their families. We hope this will, in some small way, ease the burden of the college search, allowing students to focus more on the potential experiences and opportunities they’ll have at the University.”

More than 42,000 UNO alumni live in the same eight-parish area chosen for the application waiver.

“In order for the University to fulfill its mission, we must provide educational access to our local students and ensure that they are well-prepared to secure high quality jobs after they graduate,” Nicklow said. “If waiving this fee encourages even a few students to apply to the University who otherwise would not have taken this important step, it will be worth it.”