BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama’s new Direct Admissions Initiative is already paying off for more than 9,000 high school seniors who received a combined $2.2 billion in scholarship offers from participating colleges and universities – without applying. The colleges found them.
That’s the kind of result Chandra Scott, executive director of Alabama Possible, is hoping for.
“I am in awe of how this is changing how students experience postsecondary access,” Scott said.
This is the first year of the initiative, which is designed to help students – especially those who might not think college is an option – see what’s possible. It’s part of Alabama Possible’s “Alabama Goes to College” campaign and was built in partnership with EAB, a national education company that manages the Match platform used to connect students and schools.
Alabama Possible is a nonprofit organization that works to expand college access and increase economic opportunity across the state.
The Alabama Commission on Higher Education, the State Department of Education and the Alabama Community College System are collaborating with the organization on this initiative.
Gov. Kay Ivey, who attended the program’s launch in July, said giving more students a path to college is essential for Alabama’s future workforce.
“That’s not just a win for education, that’s a win for our workforce,” Ivey said at the launch.
How it works
High school seniors need to create a profile on the Match platform and upload their transcript showing three years of grades. From there, participating colleges review the information and reach out directly with admission and scholarship offers.
This year, 41 Alabama colleges and universities took part – 18 four-year and 23 two-year schools. Students can accept or decline as many offers as they want. Acceptance of the offers isn’t binding and students are not required to enroll in a school if they accept an offer.
Neither Auburn University nor the University of Alabama are participating in the initiative.
The results have been striking in Mobile County Public Schools, Alabama’s largest district. More than 1,200 seniors from 12 high schools who created a profile in Match received 12,100 admissions and $250 million in scholarship offers this week, according to the district.
“This is a game-changer,” said Monica Motley, the district’s director of school counseling services.
“This lets our students know that they have what it takes to go to college,” Motley said.
📣 🎉 Congrats to several members of the @FultondaleHigh Class of 2026! 🎓 They completed their Match applications and received college offers! Proud of their hard work! #FutureLeaders #JEFCOEDproud @Jefcoed6_12 pic.twitter.com/a7QvLCyd9a
— Jefferson County Schools (@JEFCOED) October 8, 2025
Direct admissions is growing
Alabama isn’t alone in trying direct admissions. More than a dozen states now have similar programs aimed at reducing barriers for students.
The Common App Direct Admissions Initiative, which launched last year, includes more than 200 colleges in 41 states and Washington, D.C. Ten Alabama colleges use the Common App platform, but only three – Alabama State University, Auburn University at Montgomery and Tuskegee University – participate in its direct-admissions program.
Affording college
While direct admissions make the path to college clearer – and the scholarships help offset some of the cost – the total cost of going to college still adds up. Federal law requires colleges that take federal aid to list a Cost of Attendance, which includes not just tuition, but also housing, meals, transportation and other expenses.
As examples, Alabama Daily News chose two four-year universities that participate with the Alabama Possible Direct Admissions Initiative.
At the University of North Alabama in Florence, in-state freshmen living on campus should expect to spend about $30,650 for the 2025-26 school year, with tuition accounting for $10,200 of that total. So even with a scholarship that covered full tuition, a student could still be responsible for more than $20,000 for an academic year.
At the University of South Alabama in Mobile, the cost for in-state freshmen living on campus is roughly $30,000, with tuition accounting for just under $12,000 of that total. That leaves about $18,000 in costs for students to pay.
At Jacksonville State University in east Alabama, the cost of attendance for in-state freshmen living on campus is $28,000, with tuition accounting for $10,600, leaving $17,400 in costs for students to pay.
And at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, in-state freshmen living on campus should expect to spend about $23,600, with tuition accounting for $10,500 of that total. That leaves students responsible for more than $13,000 for the 2025-26 school year.
More offers for students are coming soon. Out-of-state colleges participating in the program are expected to release their admission and scholarship offers the week of Oct. 20, so the number of offers and scholarships for the first round of seniors will likely rise.
1228 Magnolia Curve,
Montgomery AL, 36106
[email protected]
Copyright © 2025 Alabama Daily News
Web Development By Infomedia