The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has launched TN Direct Admissions. Using existing academic data, this new pilot program automatically accepts eligible high school seniors into in-state public and private universities and the state’s community and technical colleges (TCAT).

Research shows that the college application and financial aid process often feels too complex, causing many students to give up before completing their applications. One in four students starts an application but never finishes it.

To address these challenges, Tennessee’s Direct Admissions Pilot is the first in the nation to directly connect automatic college admissions with state-supported and merit-based financial aid. The goal is to help students see where they’ve been accepted and how they can afford to enroll, increasing their likelihood of attending college in the fall.

This November, approximately 41,000 high school seniors in the Class of 2026 from a group of randomly selected Tennessee high schools will receive a TN Direct Admissions letter with a list of the in-state colleges and TCAT institutions where they have been automatically accepted— without having to complete traditional college applications. More than 20,000 of these letters will also outline the state and institutional financial aid available to students. The intent is to expand this effort state-wide after the pilot study.

Students only need to complete the Tennessee Promise application by November 1, 2025, to be eligible.

This fall, a total of 53 higher education institutions are participating in the TN Direct Admissions program and pilot initiative.

Through this effort, the Tennessee Board of Regents is offering direct admissions to the state’s 23 Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and 13 community colleges. In addition, 17 public and private colleges and universities across Tennessee are participating in the pilot.

As part of the pilot this year, THEC and partners are conducting a controlled study to assess how different types of information affect students’ decisions to enroll in college.

The study aims to determine whether providing clear financial aid information alongside direct admissions increases the likelihood of college enrollment compared to receiving only direct admissions information, or no letter at all. Students in the program will also be eligible to receive additional college-going supports, including proactive outreach to parents and counselors, as well as personalized contact from a direct admissions advisor.

Findings from the study will be shared broadly with a national audience of colleges, universities, higher education leaders, with the goal of informing similar efforts in other states and elevating direct admissions as a scalable strategy nationwide.