Store what a school charges to apply, and whether it waives it

scripts/ingest-deadlines/README.md

@@ -21,6 +21,18 @@ node ingest.mjs --apply      # write
 Needs `pdftotext` (`brew install poppler`) on PATH. Reads Supabase credentials
 from `web/.env.local`. Re-runnable: it only ever fills blanks.
 
+## What it brings in
+
+Per round: Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decision dates.
+
+Per school: the US application fee and whether a fee waiver is accepted. Worth
+having because the answer is so often "nothing" — of the 1,128 schools the grid
+lists a fee for, **611 charge $0**. The median is $0, the 90th percentile $70,
+the highest $150. Waivers are accepted at 540, US-only at 90, refused at 29.
+
+Needs the `application_fee_cents` / `fee_waiver_policy` columns, added in
+`20261001000000_college_application_fees.sql`. Apply that before running.
+
 ## Writing: use emit-sql
 
 `public.colleges` is **RLS read-only** in normal operation, so the anon key
@@ -36,6 +48,10 @@ lands whole or not at all, and every column is written through
 `coalesce(new, existing)` — a curated value survives even if the selection
 logic were wrong.
 
+Deadlines only ever fill a blank. Fees are refreshed on every run: nobody
+curates those by hand, the grid is their only source, and a school that drops
+its fee should stop being shown as charging one.
+
 This is how the September 2026 run was applied: 935 rows, taking real
 regular-decision dates from 46 colleges to 977.
 

scripts/ingest-deadlines/emit-sql.mjs

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const rows = parseGrid(readFileSync(txt, 'utf8'))
 const colleges = []
 for (let from = 0; ; from += 1000) {
   const { data, error } = await supabase.from('colleges')
-    .select('scorecard_id, name, early_decision, early_action, regular_decision')
+    .select('scorecard_id, name, early_decision, early_action, regular_decision, application_fee_cents, fee_waiver_policy')
     .order('scorecard_id').range(from, from + 999)
   if (error) throw new Error(error.message)
   colleges.push(...data); if (data.length < 1000) break
@@ -55,21 +55,33 @@ for (const row of single) {
     if (!value || college[column]) continue   // never overwrite
     patch[column] = value
   }
+  // Fees are refreshed rather than only filled: unlike a hand-checked
+  // deadline, nobody curates these by hand, the grid is their only source,
+  // and a school that drops its fee should stop being shown as charging one.
+  if (row.fee != null) patch.application_fee_cents = row.fee * 100
+  if (row.waiver) patch.fee_waiver_policy = row.waiver
   if (Object.keys(patch).length) updates.push({ id: college.scorecard_id, patch })
 }
 
 const q = (v) => (v == null ? 'null' : `'${String(v).replace(/'/g, "''")}'`)
+const n = (v) => (v == null ? 'null' : String(v))
 const values = updates.map((u) =>
-  `(${u.id},${q(u.patch.early_decision)},${q(u.patch.early_action)},${q(u.patch.regular_decision)})`).join(',\n  ')
+  `(${u.id},${q(u.patch.early_decision)},${q(u.patch.early_action)},${q(u.patch.regular_decision)},`
+  + `${n(u.patch.application_fee_cents)},${q(u.patch.fee_waiver_policy)})`).join(',\n  ')
 // coalesce so a column this run has nothing for keeps whatever is there.
+// fees_verified_at only moves when a fee actually came through, so it stays an
+// honest record of when the figure was last confirmed.
 const sql = `update public.colleges c set
-  early_decision   = coalesce(v.ed, c.early_decision),
-  early_action     = coalesce(v.ea, c.early_action),
-  regular_decision = coalesce(v.rd, c.regular_decision),
-  verified_at      = now()
+  early_decision       = coalesce(v.ed, c.early_decision),
+  early_action         = coalesce(v.ea, c.early_action),
+  regular_decision     = coalesce(v.rd, c.regular_decision),
+  application_fee_cents = coalesce(v.fee, c.application_fee_cents),
+  fee_waiver_policy     = coalesce(v.waiver, c.fee_waiver_policy),
+  fees_verified_at     = case when v.fee is not null then now() else c.fees_verified_at end,
+  verified_at          = now()
 from (values
   ${values}
-) as v(id, ed, ea, rd)
+) as v(id, ed, ea, rd, fee, waiver)
 where c.scorecard_id = v.id;`
 writeFileSync(process.argv[2] ?? 'deadlines.sql', sql)
 console.log(`${updates.length} rows, ${sql.length} bytes -> ${process.argv[2] ?? 'deadlines.sql'}`)

scripts/ingest-deadlines/parse.mjs

@@ -36,7 +36,56 @@ export function columnsFrom(headerLine) {
   // 'type' heads the school-type column. Names live to its left, so it tells
   // us whether a line's first field is a name at all.
   const type = /\btype\b/.exec(headerLine)
-  return type ? { ...cols, typeAt: type.index } : null
+  if (!type) return null
+  // The fee columns sit to the right of the rounds: what a US applicant pays,
+  // what an international one pays, and whether a waiver is taken.
+  const us = /\bUS\b/.exec(headerLine)
+  const intl = /Int'l/.exec(headerLine)
+  const waiver = /\bfee waiver\b/.exec(headerLine)
+  return {
+    ...cols,
+    typeAt: type.index,
+    feeAt: us?.index ?? null,
+    feeEnd: intl?.index ?? null,
+    waiverAt: waiver?.index ?? null,
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * The grid's three fee-waiver answers, as the column stores them.
+ *
+ * Longest label first, and the order matters: "Not Accepted" contains
+ * "Accepted", so testing for the short one first turned every school that
+ * refuses waivers into one that takes them.
+ */
+const WAIVER_POLICY = [
+  ['Not Accepted', 'not_accepted'],
+  ['U.S. only', 'us_only'],
+  ['Accepted', 'accepted'],
+]
+
+/**
+ * What a school charges a US applicant, and whether it takes a waiver.
+ *
+ * Returns `fee` in whole dollars — 0 is a real answer and the common one, so
+ * it must stay distinct from "the column was blank", which is undefined.
+ */
+export function feesOn(line, cols) {
+  const out = {}
+  if (cols.feeAt != null && cols.feeEnd != null) {
+    // The amount is right-aligned under its header, so read the span up to the
+    // next column rather than from a fixed offset.
+    const text = line.slice(Math.max(0, cols.feeAt - 6), cols.feeEnd - 1)
+    const m = /\$\s?([\d,]+)/.exec(text)
+    if (m) out.fee = Number(m[1].replace(/,/g, ''))
+  }
+  if (cols.waiverAt != null) {
+    const text = line.slice(Math.max(0, cols.waiverAt - 6), cols.waiverAt + 18)
+    for (const [label, value] of WAIVER_POLICY) {
+      if (text.includes(label)) { out.waiver = value; break }
+    }
+  }
+  return out
 }
 
 /**
@@ -149,6 +198,7 @@ export function parseGrid(text) {
       if (round && !row[round]) row[round] = value
     }
     if (rollingAt >= 0 && roundFor(rollingAt, cols) === 'rd' && !row.rd) row.rd = 'Rolling'
+    Object.assign(row, feesOn(line, cols))
     if (ROUNDS.some((k) => row[k])) out.push(row)
   }
   return out

scripts/ingest-deadlines/parse.test.mjs

@@ -83,3 +83,35 @@ test('normaliseName survives the abbreviations the two sources disagree on', ()
   assert.equal(normaliseName('Saint Johns University'), normaliseName('St. Johns University'))
   assert.notEqual(normaliseName('Miami University'), normaliseName('University of Miami'))
 })
+
+const HDR_FEES =
+  "     member              type \u00b9   ED   EDII      EA        EAII   REA    Rolling      US          Int'l     fee waiver      essay"
+
+test('reads what a school charges, and whether it takes a waiver', () => {
+  const rows = grid(
+    HDR_FEES,
+    "     Paid College        Coed                                            Rolling      $85         $85       Accepted        Y",
+  )
+  assert.equal(find(rows, 'Paid College').fee, 85)
+  assert.equal(find(rows, 'Paid College').waiver, 'accepted')
+})
+
+test('free is a figure, not a missing one', () => {
+  // 611 of the grid's 1,128 schools charge nothing. Zero has to survive as
+  // zero: "free to apply" and "we have no idea" are different answers.
+  const rows = grid(
+    HDR_FEES,
+    "     Free College        Coed                                            Rolling      $0          $0        Accepted        Y",
+  )
+  assert.equal(find(rows, 'Free College').fee, 0)
+})
+
+test('a school that refuses waivers is not read as accepting them', () => {
+  // "Not Accepted" contains "Accepted", and testing the short label first
+  // turned all 29 refusing schools into accepting ones.
+  const rows = grid(
+    HDR_FEES,
+    "     Strict College      Coed                                            Rolling      $50         $50       Not Accepted    Y",
+  )
+  assert.equal(find(rows, 'Strict College').waiver, 'not_accepted')
+})

supabase/migrations/20261001000000_college_application_fees.sql

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+-- What a school charges to apply, and whether it takes a waiver.
+--
+-- Both come from the Common App requirements grid, the same PDF the deadline
+-- ingest already parses — it carries `US`, `Int'l` and `fee waiver` columns
+-- beside the round dates. See scripts/ingest-deadlines.
+--
+-- This is worth storing because the answer is so often "nothing": of the 1,128
+-- schools the grid lists a fee for, 611 charge $0. A student looking at a list
+-- of ten schools and bracing for $700 of fees is usually wrong, and has no way
+-- to find out short of opening ten admissions pages.
+--
+-- Cents, not dollars, matching every other money column here (avg_net_price_cents,
+-- cost_of_attendance_cents). Null means we hold no figure; 0 means free, and the
+-- two must stay distinguishable — "we don't know" and "it costs nothing" are
+-- very different things to tell someone.
+
+alter table public.colleges
+  add column if not exists application_fee_cents int,
+  add column if not exists fee_waiver_policy     text,
+  add column if not exists fees_verified_at      timestamptz;
+
+comment on column public.colleges.application_fee_cents is
+  'US application fee in cents. 0 means free to apply; null means no figure on file.';
+comment on column public.colleges.fee_waiver_policy is
+  'From the grid''s fee-waiver column: accepted | us_only | not_accepted. Null means the grid left it blank.';
+comment on column public.colleges.fees_verified_at is
+  'When the fee columns were last refreshed from the Common App grid.';
+
+-- The grid publishes exactly these three answers; anything else is a parse bug
+-- rather than a new policy, and should fail loudly instead of being stored.
+alter table public.colleges
+  drop constraint if exists colleges_fee_waiver_policy_check;
+alter table public.colleges
+  add constraint colleges_fee_waiver_policy_check
+  check (fee_waiver_policy is null or fee_waiver_policy in ('accepted', 'us_only', 'not_accepted'));
+
+-- A negative fee is meaningless and would read as a discount.
+alter table public.colleges
+  drop constraint if exists colleges_application_fee_nonneg;
+alter table public.colleges
+  add constraint colleges_application_fee_nonneg
+  check (application_fee_cents is null or application_fee_cents >= 0);

web/src/components/ApplicationTrackingModule.tsx

@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ export default function ApplicationTrackingModule({ open, onClose, onEditIncome,
     const id = collegeAppId(college)
     if (current.some(a => a.collegeId === id)) return
     const [mapX, mapY] = projectToMap(college.longitude, college.latitude, college.state) ?? [null, null]
-    const entry: ApplicationEntry = { collegeId: id, category, deadlineType: 'RD', status: 'not-started', name: college.name, subtitle: collegeSubtitle(college), source: 'scorecard', state: college.state, city: college.city, mapX, mapY, website: domainOf(college.url), ownership: college.ownership, institutionType: college.institution_type }
+    const entry: ApplicationEntry = { collegeId: id, category, deadlineType: 'RD', status: 'not-started', name: college.name, subtitle: collegeSubtitle(college), source: 'scorecard', state: college.state, city: college.city, mapX, mapY, website: domainOf(college.url), ownership: college.ownership, institutionType: college.institution_type, applicationFeeCents: college.application_fee_cents, feeWaiverPolicy: college.fee_waiver_policy }
     // Only seed tasks when a shared one is already done or dated elsewhere; otherwise
     // leave them unset so the default checklist keeps tracking the entry.
     const tasks = initialTasksFor(entry, current)

web/src/components/CollegeDiscoverTab.test.tsx

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ const H = vi.hoisted(() => {
     legacy_slug: null, emoji: null, early_action: null, early_decision: null, regular_decision: null,
     fafsa_priority: null, css_profile: null, aid_notification: null, meets_full_need: null,
     no_loan_policy: null, curated_at: null,
+    application_fee_cents: null, fee_waiver_policy: null, fees_verified_at: null,
     ...over,
   })
   const SAMPLE: College[] = [

web/src/components/SchoolApplicationPage.tsx

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { C, MODULE_COLORS } from '../lib/designTokens'
 import { Bar, CollegeLogo, SecLabel } from './moduleUI'
 import JourneyStepper from './JourneyStepper'
-import { TASK_PHASES, tasksForEntry, isSharedTask, suggestedWaiverDue, WAIVER_LEAD_DAYS } from '../data/applicationTasks'
+import { TASK_PHASES, tasksForEntry, isSharedTask, suggestedWaiverDue, applicationFeeFact, WAIVER_LEAD_DAYS } from '../data/applicationTasks'
 import { DEADLINE_TYPE_LABEL, DEADLINE_TYPE_MEANING, daysLabel, urgencyColor, type DeadlineEvent } from '../data/applicationDeadlines'
 import NetPriceFact from './NetPriceFact'
 import { toIsoDay } from '../lib/personalDeadlines'
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ export default function SchoolApplicationPage({
   // A month before this school's deadline, for the fee-waiver task. Null when
   // we hold no deadline to count back from.
   const waiverSuggestion = deadline ? toIsoDay(suggestedWaiverDue(deadline.date)) : undefined
+  const fee = applicationFeeFact(app)
 
   const setDue = (task: AppTask, due: string | undefined) => {
     if (isSharedTask(task)) onSetSharedDue(task.id, due)
@@ -263,7 +264,7 @@ export default function SchoolApplicationPage({
       </div>
 
       {/* facts */}
-      <div className="sap-facts" style={{ display: 'grid', gridTemplateColumns: 'repeat(3, minmax(0, 1fr))', marginTop: 14, border: `1px solid ${C.border}`, borderRadius: 12, background: C.surface }}>
+      <div className="sap-facts" style={{ display: 'grid', gridTemplateColumns: 'repeat(4, minmax(0, 1fr))', marginTop: 14, border: `1px solid ${C.border}`, borderRadius: 12, background: C.surface }}>
         <div style={{ padding: '14px 18px', borderRight: `1px solid ${C.border}` }}>
           <SecLabel style={{ marginBottom: 6 }}>Deadline</SecLabel>
           {deadline && preSubmission ? (
@@ -291,6 +292,13 @@ export default function SchoolApplicationPage({
         <div style={{ padding: '14px 18px', borderRight: `1px solid ${C.border}` }}>
           <NetPriceFact key={app.collegeId} collegeId={app.collegeId} />
         </div>
+        <div style={{ padding: '14px 18px', borderRight: `1px solid ${C.border}` }}>
+          <SecLabel style={{ marginBottom: 6 }}>To apply</SecLabel>
+          <div style={{ fontFamily: font, fontSize: 15, fontWeight: 600, color: C.text }}>
+            {fee.amount}
+          </div>
+          <div style={{ fontFamily: font, fontSize: 12, color: C.textMuted, marginTop: 2 }}>{fee.note}</div>
+        </div>
         <div style={{ padding: '14px 18px' }}>
           <SecLabel style={{ marginBottom: 6 }}>Tasks</SecLabel>
           <div style={{ fontFamily: font, fontSize: 15, fontWeight: 600, color: C.text }}>{done} of {tasks.length} done</div>

web/src/data/applicationTasks.test.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
-import { defaultTasksFor, deriveTaskEvents, initialTasksFor, setSharedTask, sharedTaskSummary, tasksForEntry, tasksForRound, updateSharedTask, suggestedWaiverDue, WAIVER_LEAD_DAYS } from './applicationTasks'
+import { defaultTasksFor, deriveTaskEvents, initialTasksFor, setSharedTask, sharedTaskSummary, tasksForEntry, tasksForRound, updateSharedTask, suggestedWaiverDue, applicationFeeFact, WAIVER_LEAD_DAYS } from './applicationTasks'
 import { withKnownCategory, type ApplicationEntry } from './applicationsChecklist'
 
 const app = (collegeId: string, fields: Partial<ApplicationEntry> = {}): ApplicationEntry => ({
@@ -200,3 +200,39 @@ describe('fee waivers need lead time', () => {
     expect(tasksForEntry(entry)).toBe(entry.tasks)
   })
 })
+
+describe('application fees', () => {
+  const idsOf = (a: ApplicationEntry) => defaultTasksFor(a).map((t) => t.id)
+
+  it('says free rather than $0, and never invents either answer', () => {
+    expect(applicationFeeFact(app('a', { applicationFeeCents: 0 })).amount).toBe('Free to apply')
+    expect(applicationFeeFact(app('a', { applicationFeeCents: 8500 })).amount).toBe('$85')
+    // No figure is its own answer. An invented $0 is a promise; an invented
+    // fee is a reason not to apply.
+    expect(applicationFeeFact(app('a')).amount).toBe('Fee not on file')
+  })
+
+  it('says whether a waiver is taken, when the grid told us', () => {
+    const note = (p?: string) => applicationFeeFact(app('a', { applicationFeeCents: 8500, feeWaiverPolicy: p })).note
+    expect(note('accepted')).toBe('Fee waivers accepted')
+    expect(note('us_only')).toBe('Fee waivers accepted')
+    expect(note('not_accepted')).toBe('No fee waivers here')
+    expect(note(undefined)).toBe('Ask about a waiver')
+  })
+
+  it('drops the waiver task where there is no fee to waive', () => {
+    expect(idsOf(app('a', { applicationFeeCents: 0 }))).not.toContain('waiver')
+    expect(idsOf(app('a', { applicationFeeCents: 8500 }))).toContain('waiver')
+  })
+
+  it('falls back to the school type when no fee is on file', () => {
+    // Most of the 6,273 colleges have no grid row at all.
+    expect(idsOf(app('a'))).toContain('waiver')
+    expect(idsOf(app('c', { institutionType: '2yr' }))).not.toContain('waiver')
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the waiver on a free two-year school that actually charges', () => {
+    // The real figure beats the guess, in both directions.
+    expect(idsOf(app('c', { institutionType: '2yr', applicationFeeCents: 4000 }))).toContain('waiver')
+  })
+})