Applying to community college has become a lot smoother for Baltimore County Public Schools students, who also get guarantees they’ll be accepted.

That’s thanks to a new direct admissions program with the Community College of Baltimore County.

The two institutions announced on Friday that regardless of seniors’ GPA or income level, seats will be available to them at the community college. And a lengthy application process will no longer be a barrier.

“No more filling out long applications, no more having to figure out how you get a transcript, no more figuring out how you have to get references,” said Sandra Kurtinitis, president of the community college. “No waiting on pins and needles until you find out that you’ve been accepted or not.”

She said the partnership with the school district allows them to know who students are and what they need when they enroll in college.

Kurtinitis said that 93% of the college’s 55,000 students received free or discounted tuition last year.

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“Students receive early, personalized guidance on financial aid resources, opening doors to CCBC’s tuition-free opportunities,” the school system stated in a news release.

The program will start in mid-March, Kurtinitis announced.

Superintendent Myriam Rogers said on Friday that direct admissions provide a “smoother, faster and more accessible path to early acceptance” at the community college.

Direct admissions have risen in popularity in Maryland and in the country: Coppin State University, Towson University and Goucher College are some of the local institutions that participate through the Common App, an online platform that facilitates applications for hundreds of colleges across the country.

Nationally, the Common App’s direct admissions program has grown from 119 participating colleges in 25 states last academic year to more than 200 colleges in 41 states and Washington, D.C. Last year, 733,000 students were offered direct admission.

Coppin State has seen the benefits. It welcomed its largest class in over 25 years after extending direct admissions offers to 450,000 students. Roughly 14,700 of them ended up submitting a formal application to the university.

In a news release, Baltimore County schools officials pointed to successful models on the community college level: Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, SUNY Westchester Community College in New York and Milwaukee Area Technical College in Wisconsin, to name a few.

In the spring, Baltimore County seniors will receive an email with instructions to complete “a short confirmation form for acceptance,” according to the news release, along with next steps on advising, enrollment and tuition-free options.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.