The University of Utah has initiated a pilot program guaranteeing admission to the U for all high school students in four Utah school districts with a 3.5 GPA or higher.

Named “Utah Direct,” the program begins testing this year in the Canyons, Davis, Granite and Provo school districts and starts its outreach to students when they are in 9th grade by sending them letters of encouragement.

“Utah Direct is a really powerful message to our most at-risk students,” Granite School District Superintendent Ben Horsley said in a press release. “The message is ‘We see the great work that you’re doing, you have incredible potential and we’d love to see you become a member of this fine institution and brighten your future.'”

Steve Robinson, vice provost for enrollment management at the University of Utah, said the U is offering guaranteed admissions to a little over 5,000 students, but “only a fraction” will end up enrolling.

“It’s unclear what this will mean in terms of enrollment trends,” he said. “We hope to see an increase in enrollment from students in the targeted districts, but there’s always a possibility that it may not turn out as expected.”

Robinson said he has not yet spoken to housing about potential changes for next year’s process but added that since many of the high school students enrolled in the program live in close school districts, they might commute, meaning student housing may not be an issue. However, the impact Utah Direct might have on parking also remains uncertain at this time.

“Certainly, the university is trying to grow, and if there’s more growth, there will be changes in various areas such as parking and housing,” Robinson added. “There could also be impacts on class availability, academic advising and other support services.”

Utah Direct students will be offered the same merit scholarship opportunities as other new and incoming students if they complete the streamlined application process by Dec. 1.

“One reason we ask them to do this is to ensure they’re fully considered for scholarships,” Robinson said. “We also need to know their intended academic major because, while we offer the guarantee of admission generally, we need to know if they want to study political science or mechanical engineering. This information helps us … determine their eligibility for scholarships.” 

Robinson added that scholarships for current students will not be directly affected, and everyone will continue to have the same scholarship opportunities at the U.

Additionally, the U has started the Arches Scholarship program for students with a 4.0 GPA who live in rural Utah counties. The scholarship gives students $15,000 per year and an extra $13,700 if they live on campus.

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