RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — As families sit around the kitchen table trying to figure out the best options for college, it's now a bit easier and cheaper. In a time when every dollar counts and applications are on the increase, the UNC System is rolling out something old and something new. Whether you want to be a teacher, an engineer or a nurse, North Carolina's state-supported university system is still considered a bargain compared to many other systems and universities across the country. But it can still be expensive to find the right program with no guarantee of admittance. Greensboro law enforcement prepares ahead of North Carolina A&T’s ‘Greatest Homecoming on Earth’ As they do each year, from Oct. 21-27, a number of UNC System universities will waive their application fees. "Application fees are typically $50-60. We have 16 UNC system institutions. If you're applying to several of them, those fees really, really add up and could be a good cost savings for families of North Carolina," said Dr. Shun Robertson, UNC System Interim SVP of Strategy and Policy.  Due to Hurricane Helene all UNC System institutions will waive application fees for high school students from the 27 declared counties and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. In addition, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of North Carolina Wilmington will extend their application fee waivers beyond College Application Week for students impacted by the hurricane. "We may also do another college application week later. We understand that students and families in the west have other priorities right now, and they may not be thinking about college applications this early," said Dr. Robertson. "So we are thinking about additional opportunities and resources for those students." In partnership with N.C. College Connect they're also launching a pilot program for students with a GPA of 2.8 or greater that streamlines the application process down to just a few questions. Participating in this program are Elizabeth City State University, UNC Pembroke, Fayetteville State University, UNC Asheville, Winston-Salem State and UNC Greensboro. UNC Asheville women’s volleyball team to play home games at University of South Carolina Upstate after Helene N.C. College Connect is sending out around 70,000 letters to North Carolina high school seniors. "This is a great opportunity for those students who don't believe that the college is for them, this letter is saying that we believe that college is for them. We're saying with this letter you're not only competitive for admission to one of our institutions but there is also financial aid available for you. We believe that that's a very important message for North Carolina students and their families," said Dr. Robertson.