One less roadblock in the path to college for Idaho high school seniors
<p>University of Idaho President Chuck Staben gives a presentation to area high school students and their parents on the university's Direct Admissions Program, which automatically accepts high school students with a 3.0 or higher GPA and score of 1000 or higher on the SAT, during an Enroll Idaho meeting on Tuesday at the U of I Extension Campus in Coeur d'Alene.</p>
<p>JAKE PARRISH/Press University of Idaho President Chuck Staben speaks to more than 44 high school students and their parents on the university's new Direct Admissions Program during an Enroll Idaho informational meeting on Tuesday at the U of I Extension Campus in Coeur d'Alene. The university's program automatically accepts high school students with a 3.0 or higher GPA and score of 1000 or higher on the SAT.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE — University of Idaho President Chuck Staben told a group of high school seniors in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday night that college is the best investment they can make in themselves.
Staben spoke to the students, and their parents, at the university's Coeur d'Alene campus as part of the Enroll Idaho Initiative — a program established this year to encourage Idaho's high school students to move on to college after graduation. The event was one of 40 held across the state and, according to Staben, one component of a push to change the college-going culture in the state.
"What I hope they get out of this is that college is for them, college is attainable, and we're here to help," Staben said, adding that only 50 percent of high school graduates end up enrolling in a college within a year of receiving their diploma.
One of the largest challenges facing the state, Staben said, is a lack of college graduates needed for Idaho to have a strong economy and society.
To address that challenge, the State Board of Education, which oversees public education from kindergarten through college, launched the Direct Admissions Program this year. Instead of going through a traditional college application process, the program sends acceptance letters to students with at least a 3.0 GPA and a score of 1,000 or higher on their Scholastic Aptitude Test.
All the student then needs to do is fill out an application, which provides the university of their choosing with additional information related to things like financial aid and housing.
"We asked ourselves why we were putting one more barrier in front of students if we're sitting in the only state with a K-20 system," Staben said. "So starting this year, we are using that system to access student records and take one step forward toward increasing enrollment in Idaho's universities."
All of Idaho's universities are participating in the program, Staben added, and although he would prefer high school seniors become Vandals, it is a cooperative effort to increase enrollment.
Parents and students were given the opportunity to ask questions following Staben's presentation. One parent asked the university presidents about what kind of path a high school student who did not achieve a 3.0 GPA should take following graduation.
Staben responded by encouraging the student to still apply for enrollment at a university and acknowledged that there are sometimes other factors that can contribute to lower GPAs. He also recommended attending a community college to better prepare for the academic rigors of college life.
"We find that students who maybe didn't have distinguished high school records, and attend community college after graduation, end up doing very well when they transfer to a four-year university," Staben said.