LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Bellarmine University announced the launch of an initiative to make it easier for Louisville high school students to pursue postsecondary education in their hometown through automatic admission to the school.
“Bellarmine Direct” allows students from public and private high schools who have earned a 2.75 grade point average to use a streamlined admission process through an online form. According to the school, the form takes less than five minutes to complete.
When the school receives a Bellarmine Direct applicant’s high school transcript, the student will be admitted automatically with a minimum scholarship of $18,000. There is no cost to apply.
The student will also receive a personalized financial aid package after completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
“In recent years, we have found very clearly that students who earn at least a 2.75 GPA from Louisville high schools perform very well at Bellarmine, and we know that 70% of students who graduate from Bellarmine stay in Louisville and contribute to the local economy through the workforce,” Susan M. Donovan, president of Bellarmine University, said. “A Bellarmine degree is a path to unrivaled outcomes, and our commitment to Louisville through Bellarmine Direct is to help more qualified local students see how this path to success through Bellarmine is viable for them by reducing barriers in the college admissions process.”
Donovan noted 99% of Bellarmine’s class of 2023 was either employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation, according to the school’s survey of 2023 graduates. The school said that three years after graduation, Bellarmine bachelor’s degree recipients living in Kentucky earned a median income that was 19% higher than the average median income for those holding bachelor’s degrees from all Kentucky institutions.
The school encouraged students who don’t have a 2.75 GPA to apply for admission, noting that GPA is only one factor the university considers.
Visit the Bellarmine Direct page on the school’s website to learn more and apply.