After UT Arlington hired Director Rebeccca Lothringer, UTA will host an application drive from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Monday in room F4, which will provide seniors the opportunity to have their $75 UTA application fee waived.

“We have a new director in our office, (Lothringer), and she is encouraging us to do this,” UTA counselor Shannon Shaver said. “She is more willing to waive application fees and we’ve never been allowed to do that before. This is the first time we will do it.”

Mansfield, Timberview, Lake Ridge and Summit High School will each host a drive.

“We just want to increase applications, so more people can apply to UTA,” Shaver said. “A good way to do that is to waive the application fee.”

Students can apply in room F4 during lunch, senior release or if given a teacher’s pass. The application can take about 30 minutes to finish because UTA has no essay portion.

“A lot of people are like, ‘I don’t want to apply because of the application fee’ and so (the drive) gets them to apply,” Shaver said. “Then in the spring, they realize this is an option and end up coming to UTA.”

MHS counselor Chrystal Barnett said she supports the idea of the drive because it not only provides free applications, but also helps students who don’t qualify for a free application waiver.

“I think this is a great opportunity for students who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to have their application fee waived,” she said. “To be able to, on one specific day, get assistance with the application (and) have that fee waived (is great).”

Senior Cathleen Truong, who plans to major in biology to become a pharmacist, will attend the drive.

“It would be very beneficial to students who are already spending a lot of money on their other college applications,” she said. “To get a chance to apply to a great college like UTA for free is a great way for students to get an idea of how to apply for college if they haven’t already done so.”