Good point. IIRC, applications tend to be around $50 each. Whole point is to make sure there is genuine interest to not waste resources in the evaluation process. I say take all federal money out of education except as research funding (pay for work - hopefully useful.) All the easy credit has inflated cost and let too many students in that are incapable of doing the work - resulting in degree inflation. When I started work in our lab in 1982, BS Chemists were hired as professionals, now they are hired as technicians.