The Idaho State Board of Education has implemented this initiative, called Direct Admissions, to provide more Idaho students with the opportunity to obtain a postsecondary certificate or degree.
Direct Admissions proactively admits Idaho public high school seniors to the state’s public higher education institutions based on each student’s grade point average (GPA) and college entrance exam score.
Receiving the letter is just the first step, but one that the State Board hopes will present some clear options for your family. You and your student will need do some research on which school might offer what they want to study and what kind of college community fits them best. Together, you can learn more from the Idaho Schools Directory. Additionally, there are many resources on this site to help you evaluate schools and plan for the future.
Once your student has decided which schools they might want to attend, they will need to submit an application, even though they’ve been pre-accepted. Using the Apply Idaho application, students can apply to any or all of Idaho’s public colleges or universities for FREE.
Their acceptance letter holds their seat for the fall of 2020, but they still need to submit the required forms and, of course, graduate from high school! To take advantage this opportunity, they must submit the application materials by June 30, 2020.
No matter which letter you get, you still have the option to apply to any or all of Idaho’s public colleges and universities under normal deadlines and be considered alongside all other in-state and out-of-state applicants.
It’s important to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as practical. You can start filling out this form on October 1st of this year, rather than waiting to complete your 2019 taxes. Your student will need information from your 2018 tax return, so you’ll need to help them gather the answers to the questions on the form.
You’ll also need to submit applications for financial aid and scholarships at the institutions to which you apply. The links for these applications can be found in the Idaho Colleges Directory.
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