What enrollment leaders can learn from Alabama’s statewide direct admissions program

Across the country, higher ed enrollment leaders are investing in innovative solutions to expand access to new student populations, helping their institutions find and enroll new students in the process. Alabama’s new Direct Admissions Initiative is a shining example, having reached remarkable milestones in just three short months. Since its inception this summer, the state’s Alabama Direct Admissions Initiative helped more than 12,000 students earn over $5.1 billion in scholarship offers through a statewide direct-admissions initiative powered by EAB’s Match. It’s an extraordinary outcome and a testament to how public-private collaboration can scale success.

I had the pleasure of coordinating this initiative’s launch alongside Alabama Possible’s Executive Director, Chandra Scott and Deputy Director, Manisha Mishra. Their tireless work at Alabama Possible led directly to these incredible outcomes. Read on to see how we organized this effort together and what other states (and individual institutions) can learn from its success.

The Challenge: Innovation Without Infrastructure

Across EAB’s work with state education systems and enrollment leaders, one observation consistently rises to the top: promising ideas struggle to succeed without the right infrastructure in place. 

Many institutions and state systems using direct admissions, for example, are targeting narrow GPA or rank bands. This means many students who need early encouragement to consider college as an option (who are often first-generation, rural, and/or low-income) are excluded. Meanwhile, colleges see fewer qualified admits than expected and come to view direct admissions narrowly as a supplemental way to fill gaps in their class rather than as a key piece of their strategy. Additionally, statewide initiatives often put the onus almost entirely on schools and counselors, and require students to take extra steps to complete applications, resulting in more work for all parties, and diminishing returns. As a result, direct admissions initiatives can fail to reach their full potential.

Alabama’s Solution: A Unified Ecosystem of Private, Public, and Non-Profit Partners

The Alabama Direct Admission Initiative brought together a coalition rarely seen at this scale, with each organization contributing unique strengths:

• State education agencies that provided the data framework to identify eligible students.
• Alabama Possible, a nonprofit that mobilized schools, counselors, and local organizations to participate in the initiative.
• Colleges and universities committed to transparent, student-friendly admissions processes.
• EAB, which supplied the underlying technology and enrollment expertise through Match, enabling participating institutions to match students to programs and scholarships efficiently.

This comprehensive approach transformed what might have been a one-off pilot into a replicable model of systemic change. As one participating institution noted,

The Approach: Access for All Students

Key to Alabama’s approach is its commitment to inclusion at every level. While many direct admissions programs across the country target only high-achieving or top-ranked students, and often include only publicly funded institutions, Alabama designed its initiative for all students and all colleges.

By partnering closely with the Alabama Community College System, the state ensured that every participating high school senior would receive at least one direct admission offer, regardless of GPA or class rank. This collaboration means students who might otherwise be overlooked are given a clear, attainable path to higher education. The inclusion of both public and private colleges created a statewide network of opportunity.

The Match platform also allows schools to incorporate specific scholarship opportunities for each student, making each offer more personalized and relevant. One such scholarship is the Birmingham Promise, which offers seniors at Birmingham public high schools a “last dollar” scholarship that covers out-of-pocket costs for full tuition coverage. Many students are not even aware they are eligible for this scholarship. Embedding it directly into applicable admissions offers through Match ensures that students can access every scholarship dollar available to them.

Alabama’s “all-in” model is an embodiment of some of the key aspirations of direct admissions: to remove barriers, expand options, and signal to every student that college is within reach regardless of program pathway. This aligns perfectly with Match’s open access approach to direct admissions (both domestically and globally).

The Impact: Confidence, Opportunity, and Momentum

Alabama’s initiative has already delivered quantifiable results:

• 12,000+ students received direct admission offers
• $5.1 billion in scholarships were extended
• 38 in-state colleges and 22 out-of-state colleges are participating

But behind those numbers lies a deeper story. Students are already reporting that they feel a sense of hope about their future that they hadn’t before. The initiative is effective at filling enrollment funnels and helping students recognize their full potential.

While it’s exciting to see such strong early results, projects of this scale always come with growing pains and process adjustments. We’re deeply grateful to the college staff across the state who have embraced this new approach. Their commitment and flexibility have been key to helping their institutions succeed through the inevitable challenges of launching something this ambitious.

The Next Wave of Partnership-Driven Enrollment

As more states explore direct admissions pilots, Alabama’s success offers a blueprint for structuring partnerships and systems that allow direct admissions to thrive.

• Break down barriers. Successful state-wide direct admissions strategies emerge from coalitions that connect schools, state agencies, and technology. Each component provides a critical piece of the puzzle, and breaking down traditional silos between institutions by seeking nontraditional partnerships can lead to incredible impact.
• Measure what matters. Applications and deposits are a critical measure of success, but at the state level, connecting more students (and more types of students) with opportunities that make them ready for the workforce is equally meaningful. Additionally, broadening the enrollment lens feeds the funnel with more applications and deposits, ensuring the system works for students, schools, and the state simultaneously.
• Look to the future. The states that invest in shared infrastructure today will be leaders in the enrollment landscape in the coming years. As direct admissions expands, the states and colleges innovating now will come to be seen as leaders in the field.

In a national landscape where higher education is often criticized for operating in silos, Alabama’s initiative proves that collaboration can be a competitive advantage.

If you’d like to explore how Match can benefit individual institutions like yours, watch this on-demand webinar.  Or if you’re interested in learning more about this initiative or coordinating a similar effort in your state or region, fill out the form below and we will reach out!

Kory Smalzer

Director of Strategic Partnerships, Match

Read Bio