Staff Reports

AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board launched a new Direct Admissions initiative, Oct. 11, to provide Texas students with an innovative tool designed to streamline the college application process.

“As a father, I understand how confusing and stressful the college application process can be for your family,” Abbott said. “With the launch of Direct Admissions, the college application process will be made easier for young students and their families to choose the best Texas college or university for them to lead successful lives in our state.”

 Direct Admissions is now available in My Texas Future, the state’s one-stop college and career advising website, providing students with a list of participating Texas institutions where they can qualify for acceptance before they even begin the college application process.

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 junior year.

Once students know where they can be admitted via Direct Admissions, they will then need to complete an application in ApplyTexas to verify their academic information. This also allows higher education institutions to determine if students qualify for scholarships and program offers. If a student does not qualify for direct admission at a particular college or university, they may still apply through the traditional application process.

“We know that college admissions can be an exciting, but challenging process for students,” said Interim Commissioner of Higher Education Sarah Keyton. “The impact of that is real, with some students hesitating to even apply. Direct Admissions has the potential to reduce time, boost confidence, and increase transparency, encouraging Texans who might not otherwise consider college to take the next step.”

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 Tech 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

Development of Direct Admissions was supported by philanthropic funds through THECB’s official nonprofit partner, the Texas Higher Education Foundation.