The fee required by RCW 33.08.110 to be submitted in connection with an application to establish a branch office of a foreign association in this state shall be two thousand five hundred dollars, nonrefundable for the first branch and five hundred dollars for each additional branch. In the event the actual costs of the investigation with respect to a particular application exceed the amount of the fee, such difference between the fee and the actual costs shall be paid by the applicant. For the purposes of this section, actual costs shall include travel and per diem expenses paid to division personnel in connection with the investigation.