The University of Texas at Arlington and the Fort Worth Independent School District launched a new access initiative Friday—Direct to UTA: College Ready Career Bound—a program that guarantees admission to UT Arlington for qualifying FWISD students as early as the end of their junior year.
Designed to expand college access, promote educational equity and strengthen pathways from high school to higher education for Fort Worth students, the program was officially kicked off by UTA and FWISD leadership during a signing ceremony Friday morning at the University Center on the UTA campus.
“Our agreement with Fort Worth ISD is simple but powerful: If students do the hard work, we will make sure UTA’s doors are open to them,” UTA President Jennifer Cowley said. “Guaranteed admission means opportunity that Fort Worth’s top students can count on—especially for first-generation students who might not always see themselves on a college campus.”
Through this partnership, FWISD will share academic information for eligible students with UTA, which will automatically create an application and extend early admission offers. Students who accept will also be considered for merit-based scholarships and receive personalized college-readiness support, including financial aid workshops, after-school programming and campus immersion experiences.
Students with a 3.25 unweighted GPA or who rank in the top 25% of their class will qualify for direct admission to UTA, while those with a 3.5 GPA or top 10% ranking will also receive automatic consideration for the Honors College. UTA will also provide a dedicated liaison to support FWISD students and families, along with peer mentoring, classroom presentations and on-the-spot admission review events for students who do not initially meet the direct admission criteria.
“The Direct to UTA program was made possible by the dedication of FWISD and UTA leadership to increase college access for more students,” said Kara Hadley-Shakya, associate vice president for university admissions. “Today’s signing launches an initiative to expand college access and strengthen the pathway from high school to higher education for Fort Worth students.”
The program supports FWISD’s commitment to post-secondary readiness by increasing four-year college enrollment and accelerating academic growth for all students. It also strengthens UTA’s role as a leading public research university serving the North Texas region. The program is similar to UTA’s Bound for Success initiative created for students in the top 25% of their class starting their junior year in the Aledo, Arlington, Grand Prairie and Mansfield ISDs. The Direct to UTA initiative is designed to expand to include more school districts across the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
“What is happening here today is a game-changer for our entire metroplex,” said FWISD Superintendent Karen Molinar. “Not just Arlington, not just Fort Worth, but our entire metroplex, because we are going to build a career-minded focus for our students.”
