CLEVELAND — The college application process can be an obstacle for some students who want to go to college.

According to the Brookings Institute, more than half of students rank the process as one of the most stressful of their academic experience with students from low-income backgrounds and first-generation college students facing the most barriers, due to the complexity of the process.

A new partnership between the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cuyahoga Community College hopes to change that.

What You Need To Know

  • There is a new direct admissions partnership between Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cuyahoga Community College

  • The program started in December

  • Tri-C is the first college in Ohio to have this program

Brianna Sponer is a John Marshall High School senior, and she’s already planning for her future. She’s a part of the new direct admissions partnership program between Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cuyahoga Community College which eliminates the college application process for qualified high school seniors.

“It’s close by, it’s affordable for all kids if you don’t have scholarships so I just thought it would be easier to do Tri-C than go to a big university," said Sponer.

The program started in December and currently holds 90 participants with that number going up.

Tri-C is the first college in Ohio to do something like this with a real focus on direct admissions and removing the barrier for admissions for students.

Angela Johnson, the vice president of enrollment at Tri-C, says this program allows for participants to be admitted directly out of high school through data sharing between Tri-C and the student’s school.

“In their senior year, they have the opportunity to get connected with us as a community college in their region for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District students and really helping them to be connected to the next level of education for them," Johnson said.

Sponer knows what her next level of learning and education will be after graduation. She also knows how she’s getting there.

“I’m looking forward to be able to learn about the healthcare and to assist people and why people end up in the hospital and overall help them," said Sponer.  “Seniors like me have an application process that’s easy to do and I know where I’m going to end up in the fall Tri-C, doing my nursing.”

To get into this program you can reach out to your high school or admissions at Tri-C. You can also click here for information on the program.