Wash. U. waiving it’s $75 application fee is one more step towards fairly treating low-income applicants.

Washington University will waive the $75 application fee for undergraduate applicants whose family income is under $75,000 and will allow all applicants to self-report their standardized test scores in accordance with policies implemented by the University this fall.

WU/FUSED, Washington University’s chapter of national coalition U/FUSED, is taking new strides toward socioeconomic diversity within the undergraduate population following the increase of Pell-eligible students at the University.

The Opportunity Fund is a student-led initiative that aims to reduce the financial barriers faced by undergraduates of lower socioeconomic backgrounds, provide a source of reliable funding for extracurricular activities and thereby empower students with the opportunity to attain an equitable and fulfilling college experience.

Washington University found itself in a familiar situation Wednesday; atop a new ranking measuring the least socioeconomic diverse colleges across the country.

The New York Times article highlighted a fact many students know, but few have openly acknowledged: Washington University is diverse in many ways, but socioeconomic diversity isn’t one of them.

For years, the members of WU/FUSED have been asking the administration a single question: Will you provide us with a breakdown of the income distribution in the student body? Each time that we have asked, their response has been the same: No.

It’s no secret that Washington University has long lagged far behind its peer institutions in terms of socioeconomic diversity. With a paltry 6.2 percent of students qualifying for a federal Pell Grant in 2015, a number a full 4 percentage points below the next closest four-year research university, Wash. U. rightfully earned the deplorable distinction of the least financially diverse university in the country.

A pilot scholar program launching this year hopes to be the answer to the slew of criticism that has come from students and national media in regards to the lack of socioeconomic diversity in the undergraduate population.

Ronne Patrick Turner has been appointed the new vice provost of admissions, effective this July. Turner currently serves as the associate vice president of enrollment and dean of admissions at Northeastern University in Boston.