University of Northern Colorado to guarantee first year acceptance to many in-state students
The University of Northern Colorado has announced plans to guarantee first year acceptance to many students in Colorado, so long as they simply graduate from high school. UNC in Greeley launched their "Colorado First Year Admission Guarantee," which promises to accept most students who graduate locally with at least a 3.0 GPA.
"We are first to be outlining a guaranteed pathway to admissions, which we are very excited about," said Erika Pepmeyer, Admissions Director at UNC.
Pepmeyer said the overall goal of the guaranteed acceptance program is to make the pathway to higher education both clearer and easier to navigate for students in Colorado.
"We know that students and families experience a lot of stress and uncertainty around the college application process," Pepmeyer said. "We think the initiative itself, especially for high school counselors helping students and families to either develop or narrow a list of schools, this will provide an opportunity for counselors to sit down and have conversations with the students and help them confidently outline a pathway to UNC."
The 3.0 GPA minimum will be recognized for both weighted or unweighted GPAs. Alongside the GPA standards, and requirement of graduating from a Colorado high school, there are a few other standards students must meet in order to qualify.
- Colorado high school student
- 3.0 cumulative high school GPA (weighted)
- Four years of English
- Four years of math (or three years of math with a grade of B or higher in Algebra 2)
- Three years of physical or lab sciences
- Three years of social sciences
- Meet all other high school graduation requirements
- Submit application for admission by March 1 of enrollment year
Students will still be required to apply to the university. However, if they meet all of the above criteria they can expect acceptance letters.
Pepmeyer said the application process, especially for first generation higher education students, can be stressful and uncertain. By outlying the basic standards for guaranteed acceptance she said she hoped many students will have more assurance in their future studies while finishing high school.
"We often times leave families feeling uncertain if they are going to be a competitive candidate for admission. And, we think this first-year guarantee, being the first of its kind, can really serve students and families long term," Pepmeyer said.
CBS News Colorado recently highlighted how a nationwide issue of declining enrollment in higher education was significantly impacting many universities. UNC announced plans to shutter one of their departments due to low enrollment and reallocated their funds to other programs.
When asked if the guaranteed acceptance program was a way the university was trying to meet enrollment and financial numbers, Pepmeyer denied that. She said the move could likely help address the issue, but underscored that the main intent was to clear the road to college for some students who have shied away in the past.
