Prince George’s students with good grades get fast-tracked Bowie State admission

Getting into college just got easier for some Prince George’s County Public Schools students.

High school students with at least a 3.0 grade point average will now be guaranteed admission to Bowie State University, Maryland’s oldest historically Black college.

To apply, students must complete an interest form and submit an unofficial high school transcript. They will not be required to submit essays, recommendation letters, test scores or application fees. Students will also have access to application workshops and help completing financial aid forms.

“The fast-track admissions program creates a clear and supportive pathway to a four-year degree and opens the door to meaningful experiential learning and career opportunities for PGCPS students right here on our campus,” Bowie State President Aminta Breaux said in a statement.

Bowie State saw a 27% decline in freshman enrollment between 2022 and 2025, from 1,170 first-year students to 844.

It also saw the largest single-year enrollment drop among University System of Maryland institutions last year. Total enrollment at Bowie State fell 6%, from 6,353 students in fall 2024 to 5,970 students in fall 2025.

Other colleges in Maryland — including HBCUs Coppin State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore — have also begun offering direct admissions programs amid shifting demographics that are expected to reduce the number of college-bound high school graduates.

Bowie State’s direct admissions program, which lasts through Oct. 1, 2028, deepens its relationship with the public school system; the HBCU has awarded more than 600 scholarships to PGCPS seniors for fall 2026, totaling more than $1 million. Prince George’s students will receive an additional $600,000 in scholarships in future years thanks to billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s $50 million gift to the university last fall.

The school district’s partnership with Bowie State “represents a monumental homecoming for our students’ dreams,” PGCPS interim Superintendent Shawn Joseph said in a statement.

“We are not simply streamlining admissions; we are honoring the brilliance that lives in every Prince George’s County classroom, training the next generation of county leaders right here at home, and ensuring the excellence cultivated in our hallways becomes the leadership that drives our county forward for generations to come,” Joseph said.

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