Automatic admission to University of Olivet now an option for Lansing students

LANSING — Students in Lansing School District schools will now be automatically admitted into the University of Olivet under a new Olivet Direct! program that builds on the Lansing Promise scholarship and a recent Olivet scholarship.

Together, the scholarships and automatic admission mean many students can get a free private university education without the hassles of the application process, Olivet President Steven Corey said Friday during an announcement at Eastern High School with both Lansing School District and Olivet leaders.

“We are thrilled to make the college admissions process easier and more affordable to the largest school district in the Greater Lansing area,” Corey said in an official statement. “The University of Olivet and the Lansing School District share a strong bond through many educational programs and now these students will be able to avoid the lengthy and often confusing admissions process and focus on successfully finishing their senior year."

Olivet Direct! is for seniors. Olivet introduced the program in December, and it has already been offered at 11 other school districts, including Charlotte Public Schools and Potterville Public Schools. Lansing would be the largest school district in the program, with about 10,000 students.

At Eastern, Lansing Superintendent Benjamin Shuldiner said an automatic admission process will assure students they can afford college if they choose to go.

"Higher education is the linchpin," Shuldiner said. "It can be very expensive and there are roadblocks to navigate and finish."

The university is hoping to attract more first generation and low- to moderate-income students, said Corey, adding that it's too early to say how many students will be using the program.

The opportunity is too good to pass up, said Justin Sheehan, the executive director of Lansing Promise.

He told about a dozen students gathered in a rotunda at Eastern High School Friday morning that they will be future leaders.

"We need you to be your best: Excellent," he said.

One Eastern student, 17-year-old Kenna Bartlett, said she committed to the university because she liked the small class sizes at Olivet when she checked it out this summer.

The Olivet Direct! program would work this way: Students get automatic admission. They go through the federal aid process, get the Promise scholarship and then the university would cover the full cost of tuition and fees through the Olivet ADVANTAGE scholarship.

The ADVANTAGE requires seniors to be eligible for the new Michigan Achievement Scholarship, be Pell Grant eligible and have been a Michigan resident for at least a year. The scholarship would cover the full cost of tuition for a full-time student and fees after state, federal and institutional grants and scholarship are applied.

Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing students can get automatic college admission with new Oliver Direct!