SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — Shepherd University is taking new steps to make the path to higher education smoother for local students through its growing direct admissions partnership with nearby high schools.
The initiative, launched with Berkeley County Schools last December and expanded to Jefferson County this year, is designed to reduce common barriers that keep students from pursuing college. High school seniors with a GPA of 2.5 or higher can have their application and SAT fees waived — costs that school officials say often discourage students from applying.
“It takes the hassle of having to redo SAT scores and all. I don’t have to worry about that anymore — it takes one more thing off my plate,” Annika Feagans, a senior at Jefferson High School, said. “Another thing is that it just makes it simpler for me and takes away some cost.”
In 2023, less than half of West Virginia’s high school graduates chose to continue on to college. Currently, around 20% of the state’s population holds a college degree, but research from West Virginia University indicates that number needs to reach 60% to meet future workforce demands.
“That’s what it’s all about. Getting that extra umph, that extra push to get them to try the next level because students do doubt themselves just like sometimes adults do… the pressures of the testing and the pressures of the fees and filling out paperwork,” Mary Beth Group, JHS principal, said.
Early signs show the direct admissions partnership is gaining traction. Last year, only nine students from Berkeley County took advantage of the program. So far this year, more than 100 students from both Berkeley and Jefferson counties have committed to Shepherd.
Will Bell, Shepherd University’s associate vice president of enrollment management, says strengthening relationships with local school systems is an essential part of the effort.
“One of the main outcomes that we want is a better relationship with the counties, which I think we are getting there. There is more communication between our admissions office and the guidance counselors at the high school,” Bell said.
Shepherd University hopes to expand the partnership to additional nearby counties.
This article was adapted from a television news story using AI. All reporting, facts and quotes from sources are original. AI was only used to assist with formatting and style for a digital platform.