Direct Admissions Minnesota
Every student is “college material.” This core belief is the driving idea behind the Office of Higher Education's Direct Admissions program.
This program notifies graduating high school seniors from participating Minnesota high schools that there are multiple partner colleges and universities who are eager to admit them based on their academic records and their projected graduation date. This program will allow students to apply with confidence, knowing that the "will I get in?" question has already been answered with a "YES!"
How does Direct Admissions work?
Early in the school year, seniors at participating high schools who are on track to graduate will receive personalized communication from the Office of Higher Education that lists all participating Minnesota colleges and universities they are proactively admitted to based in a review school staff conduct. All participating colleges and universities waive application fees as part of the Direct Admissions program.
Although students have received “direct admission” to the institutions on their list, they still must submit applications to their colleges and universities according to their application deadlines. Some schools may occasionally require additional materials, such as essays and standardized test scores. Students are encouraged to conduct their own research, visit the institutions’ website and/or campus, look into majors and programs, and consider tuition costs and financial aid options.
Students’ applications will be processed according to the timeline indicated by each college or university. Students will receive an official acceptance letter after they have submitted their application. Students can contact the institution directly with questions about the status of an application.
There are over 50 Minnesota colleges and universities participating in the Direct Admissions program, including a full range of community, technical, tribal, public and private institutions. Click here for a full list of participating colleges and universities.
If students are interested in postsecondary institutions that are not on their personalized list, they will want to follow the standard application process for the schools they are interested in.
In addition to the college application process, we also strongly encourage all students to apply for financial aid through the Free Application for Financial Aid which is used to determine eligibility for both federal and state financial aid programs. The federal Pell Grant and the Minnesota State Grant provide grants to more than 120,000 students each year. Half of all students who apply receive a Pell Grant or Minnesota State Grant. Grants are based on the cost of the college chosen, family size, and income.
Direct Admissions Minnesota, Minnesota’s proactive admissions program, is a partnership project between K-12 and higher education, led by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. The program, which is optional for high schools and colleges to participate in, reimagines the college application process. Each fall, students at participating high schools receive a personalized communication of Minnesota colleges and universities that are offering them proactive admissions based on their academic record. Students are then able to select the college that fits them best and complete their application knowing they will be accepted. The program also waives application fees, removing a financial barrier for those considering college.
Currently, significant disparities in educational attainment exist for Minnesota’s Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. These disparities occur throughout the education pathway. Direct Admissions Minnesota has great potential to reduce equity gaps by providing important college-going information to high school students and eliminates the need for extensive college-going knowledge to navigate the college admissions process.
Direct Admissions aims to reduce self-selection bias and reduce equity gaps in college enrollment using four strategies:
- Promoting a college-going culture,
- Connecting students, families, and schools with colleges and universities earlier, giving families time to consider their options and plan,
- Easing the transition from high school to college, and
- Showing students that they have access to a certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree if they choose to further their education.
For more information on the program, read our Direct Admissions Frequently Asked Questions document.
The Office of Higher Education implemented Direct Admissions Minnesota during the 2022-2023 academic year. During Spring of 2022, the project focused on establishing a pilot program with a limited number of high schools and districts to assess the work required for participating schools, funding requirements, and technology needs. The first group of seniors received letters in fall of 2022.
Since the program was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 2021, Direct Admissions has continued to grow each year. The first year had 31 participating high schools and 11,931 eligible students. During 2025-26 academic year, which is the fourth year of the program, there will be over 250 participating high schools and over 40,000 eligible senior students. Participating schools are located all over the state, with an almost fifty percent representation for both metro and Greater Minnesota. The number of postsecondary partners has also grown since the initial year and has maintained 55 postsecondary partners from every segment of higher education in the state. It is the most comprehensive Direct Admissions model in the US. During the 2023 Legislative session, the program secured $1.3 million in funding to continue to expand the initiative over the 2024-25 biennium. That funding continues in the 2026-27 biennium.
The list of participating high schools for the fall reflects OHE’s efforts to recruit alternative learning centers, online schools, tribally affiliated schools, and competency-based high schools.
Data on Direct Admissions shows that students participating in the program have a higher rate of enrolling in a Minnesota college as well as a higher rate of completing the FAFSA, both of which are key indicators for whether a student will attend postsecondary.
According to the latest program report, reflecting data from the 2023-24 school year, 76 percent of students attending a Direct Admissions high school filed a FAFSA, compared to a 50 percent completion rate when looking at all graduating seniors. Data also shows that 46 percent of students enrolled in a Minnesota college after graduation as compared to 28 percent of non-participating 12th grade students.
Direct Admissions is also helping promote college attendance for historically excluded population in higher education. In looking at 2023-24 student, 54 percent of students identified as White, 13 percent identified as Hispanic or Latino, 13 percent identified as Black, 14 percent identified as Asian, and 5 percent identified as two or more races. Data also shows that 40 percent were eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits. All these populations saw higher rates of FAFSA completion and enrollment at a Minnesota colleges compared to non-participating students with the same demographics.
OHE is working toward rolling out the program statewide in future years.