Midland Independent School District (MISD) and Ector County Independent School District (ECISD) have initiated a partnership with the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) to launch a new admission program. The program aims to automatically admit high school seniors who demonstrate exceptional academic performance, should they decide to pursue their higher education at UTPB.
Dr. Becky Spurlock, senior vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, expressed her enthusiasm about the initiative. "We are thrilled to introduce the direct admissions program at UTPB. This program reaffirms our commitment to providing higher educational opportunities for students in our community. Our goal is to help students realize that college is possible and affordable. We are here to help," she said.
According to a news release from UTPB, high school seniors will need to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.75 in order to qualify for automatic admission under this program. The release also indicated that currently there are approximately 1,300 students across both school districts who would be eligible for admission through this partnership.
Superintendent of MISD, Dr. Stephanie Howard, underscored the alignment of this initiative with the district's mission. "The direct admission program ties directly to the mission of Midland ISD that all students will graduate college, career, or military ready. This opportunity allows 552 MISD graduates from our four high schools to transition into a higher education institution and enroll with ease. We are grateful for our partnership with The University of Texas Permian Basin and look forward to growing this program over the coming years," Howard stated.
As per the news release, students wishing for automatic enrollment must complete a direct admission form online and provide their official transcript to the Office of Admissions. They should then await an email invitation for new student orientation. This streamlined admissions process allows seniors to bypass the Apply Texas application, which aligns with UTPB's goal of removing barriers to higher education.