Oct. 11—AUSTIN — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) launched a new Direct Admissions initiative to provide Texas students with an innovative tool designed to streamline the college application process.
“One of our top priorities in Texas is to ensure the next generation of Texans have the opportunity to choose the best education options so they can succeed in in-demand, high-paying jobs after graduation,” said Governor Abbott. “As a father, I understand how confusing and stressful the college application process can be for your family. With the launch of Direct Admissions, the college application process is made easier for young students and their families to choose the best college or university in Texas . so they can live successful lives in our state. By working together, we will continue to develop a college admissions process that is more efficient and effective for all Texas students and create a better future for our great state.
“We know that college admissions can be an exciting but challenging process for students,” said Sarah Keyton, interim commissioner of higher education. “The impact of this is real, with some students even hesitant to apply. Direct admission has the potential to reduce time, increase trust and increase transparency, helping Texans who might not otherwise consider attending college are encouraged to take the next step.”
“Direct Admissions allows Texas to accelerate the state’s work to make the admissions process for Texas students more efficient and effective,” said Dr. Fred Farias, chairman of the THECB. “This effort will help more students achieve their educational goals while providing the well-educated workforce our rapidly growing economy needs.”
Direct Admissions is now available in My Texas Future, the state’s one-stop college and career counseling website, which provides students with a list of participating Texas institutions where they can qualify for acceptance before they even begin the application process before starting university.
With Direct Admissions, students share their academic information, including class rank, grade point average and SAT/ACT score, through their My Texas Future profile. Students can receive their list as early as the end of their first year.
Once students know where they can be admitted through Direct Admissions, they must submit an application in ApplyTexas to verify their academic information. This also allows higher education institutions to determine student eligibility for scholarships and program offers. If a student does not qualify for direct admission to a particular college or university, they can still apply through the traditional application process.
Thirty-one universities currently participate in Direct Admissions:
Angelo State University
Lamar University
Midwestern State University
Prairie View A&M University
Sam Houston State University
Stephen F. Austin State University
Sul Ross State University
Tarleton State University
Texas A&M University-College Station
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University-International
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Texas A&M University-Texarkana
Texas Southern University
Texas State University
Texas Technical University
Texas Women’s University
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas Permian Basin
The University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Houston
University of Houston-Clear Lake
University of Houston-Downtown
University of Houston-Victoria
University of North Texas
West Texas A&M University
The development of direct admissions was supported by philanthropic funding through THECB’s official nonprofit partner, the Texas Higher Education Foundation.
Direct Admissions joins other tools developed by THECB, including My Texas Future and ApplyTexas, to help Texas students and families achieve their education and career goals more easily and efficiently.
Students and families interested in learning more about Direct Admissions can do so at My Texas Future.
