MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Applying to college can be daunting – filling out applications, paying fees, writing essays. Then waiting, often with uncertainty, to see if the college says yes.
But a new statewide initiative aims to flip that process, making the path to college smoother and more accessible for Alabama’s high school seniors.
Alabama Direct Admission Initiative unveiled Thursday uses an online tool to match high school seniors with two- and four-year colleges across the state. If a student’s academic profile aligns with a college’s criteria, the college will offer admission – no traditional application required.
“This is a first solution that helps our young people to make informed decisions about their future,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “Whether that means preparing for a two-year degree, a four-year university, or technical credentials that lead straight to a good-paying Alabama job. That’s not just a win for education, that’s a win for our workforce.”
The program is part of Alabama Possible’s “Alabama Goes to College” initiative and a collaboration with national education company EAB, which manages the Match process. Alabama Possible, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, the Alabama Department of Education and the Alabama Community College System are all contributing to the initiative’s launch and long-term implementation.
Seniors can begin using the Match platform on Aug. 26. The deadline to complete a profile is Sept. 23. A total of 16 four-year colleges and 23 two-year colleges in Alabama are participating in the inaugural launch.
Already in use in Georgia, Match allows students to upload their transcript and create a profile outlining academic interests, goals and preferences.
Colleges that align with a student’s profile will send guaranteed offers of admission beginning Oct. 6 – weeks before the traditional application process begins.
“This is about telling students: you are seen, you are capable, and you have a place in college,” Alabama Possible Executive Director Chandra Scott said.
Spring Hill College President Mary Van Brunt, who attended Thursday’s launch, said while the initiative benefits students, it also can benefit small colleges like their 1,000-student campus in Mobile. “Some students know about us – we’ve been here almost 200 years – but others have never heard of us.”
High school counselors will have an important role to play, and the initiative is prepared to support them, too. Alabama Possible will lead training for counselors in September to prepare them for the rollout, Scott said.
“For the first time, counselors will have real-time visibility into the offers and merit-based scholarship awards their students receive,” EAB official Kory Smalzer said. “That means better conversations with their students, more informed decisions, and clear paths forward.”
Those conversations about how to pay for college are important, Scott said.
“We do understand that there are financial barriers. We are the seventh poorest (state) in the nation, so we get it,” Scott said.
“That’s why we make sure that our counselors are equipped to talk about the FAFSA—making sure that they understand this is a form that can get you the gateway to open to financial aid and financial resources.”
Recent federal changes to student loans and Pell Grants will likely have an impact, but experts aren’t sure yet what that impact will look like – or how it will affect college-going behavior in Alabama.
Jim Purcell, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, said his agency is also working to connect students to support programs beyond tuition.
“The communication goes out, ‘Hey, you may want to look at these and other federal supports,’” he said, noting that notifications could include things like SNAP benefits or subsidized housing.
According to data from ACHE, 42% of Alabama high school graduates enrolled in Alabama public colleges immediately following graduation in the most recent year. That percentage has remained stable since 2020, but is down from years prior to the pandemic. Numbers are not available for private or out-of-state colleges.
Officials hope the initiative results in more students enrolling in postsecondary education.
Scott said that kind of early affirmation is transformational.
“When colleges open their doors, when our higher education presidents open their doors wide, it changes lives across our state. And it strengthens our state and economy.”
Updated 8/3/2025 to say Alabama is the seventh poorest state, not the second.
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