UW-Green Bay Launches “Direct Admissions” Program to Increase College Access at Sheboygan Center

In a bid to increase access to higher education for first-generation college students, minority students, and those from lower-income households, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has introduced a new pilot program called “direct admissions”. The program will allow graduating students from Green Bay Area Public Schools to enroll in the university without filling out an application. The program aims to remove the barriers that prevent students from pursuing higher education, and increase diversity and inclusivity among college populations.

The “direct admissions” program is gaining popularity among colleges and universities in several states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Hawaii, and Idaho, as they compete for a diminishing pool of students. UW-Green Bay is the first university in Wisconsin to pilot this program, which is designed to reduce the number of barriers that first-generation college students face when applying to universities.

According to UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander, the admissions staff knows that the application process can be daunting for some students, which is why the “direct admissions” program seeks to eliminate that fear by partnering with the Green Bay Area Public School District. Starting in their junior year, students will have discussions about attending the university, and those graduating in the summer of 2024 will be able to transition directly to the campus if they choose.

Under the program, students interested in UW-Green Bay will work with campus career counselors to explore career tracks and receive guidance on completing federal financial aid forms and scholarships, instead of submitting an application. Alexander believes that the program will help more first-generation students attend the university, increase diversity, and encourage more students to transfer from technical colleges.

While enrollment at most UW System universities has been declining since 2010, UW-Green Bay has been an exception in recent years. Alexander emphasizes that direct admissions is not about boosting enrollment, but about improving access to college.

A feasibility study is currently underway throughout the UW System to determine whether direct admissions would be a suitable option for the state’s other regional universities. The UW System Board of Regents’ initial report suggests that direct admissions may work, although several challenges need to be addressed, including forging agreements with several K-12 school districts throughout Wisconsin, ensuring the seamless sharing of data between universities and school districts, and establishing new staff positions within the UW System to coordinate these efforts. Minnesota has been cited as a potential model for Wisconsin’s decentralized network of college campuses, and lawmakers there have passed legislation to fund a direct admissions pilot program that has partnered with 40 high school districts and more than 50 of the state’s four-year universities, two-year colleges, and private schools.