The University of Olivet extends direct admissions agreement to Tekonsha Community Schools students

The University of Olivet’s Olivet Direct! direct admissions program has been extended to include Tekonsha Community Schools in Tekonsha, Michigan. The program offers direct admission, meaning a less strenuous application and admission process, and in some cases, discounted tuition to students who attend the partner school districts for high school.

According to an article on the University of Olivet’s website, President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D. gave a presentation at Tekonsha Community Schools with Superintendent and Principal JoEllen O’Keefe of Tekonsha Community Schools, during which the agreement was signed. In his remarks during the presentation, Corey said, “The University of Olivet is excited to welcome Tekonsha Community Schools as our newest Olivet Direct! school. Thanks to this partnership, more Tekonsha graduates will be able to attend The University of Olivet, benefit from our generous financial awards structure, and have a deeply immersive relationship-based education. Students can avoid the lengthy and often confusing admissions process and focus on successfully finishing their senior year. We cannot wait to welcome Tekonsha students to our campus and the UOlivet family.”

The goal of the Olivet Direct! program is to give students who are considered well-qualified, which includes meeting GPA requirements spelled out by the program, the opportunity to attend the University of Olivet without needing to complete the usual admissions process, which will save students time and effort as they seek to transition from high school to college. In order to take advantage of the Olivet Direct! program, students must be from one of the 18 partner school districts, which include Bellevue Public Schools, Chelsea Public Schools, Marshall Public School, and Traverse City Area Public Schools, among others, fill out an application for the University of Olivet, and fill out the FAFSA using the University of Olivet’s school code.

Additionally, students who are qualified for the Olivet Direct! program may also take advantage of a further benefit: The University of Olivet ADVANTAGE Scholarship. This scholarship is for students who are eligible to receive the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, are eligible for the Pell grant, and have resided in Michigan for at least one year. It will cover the cost of the student’s tuition when combined with other scholarships and grants. Even Olivet Direct! students who are not eligible for The University of Olivet ADVANTAGE Scholarship will be awarded $15,000 in grant funding per year. 

Superintendent O’Keefe said of the agreement, “Tekonsha Community Schools is thrilled to be partnering with The University of Olivet to provide this opportunity to our students. Tekonsha has a long history of students attending Olivet, and we are excited that the Olivet Direct! program will continue that tradition and make higher education opportunities even more accessible for our students. Additionally, we are so grateful for the generosity of Harold and Jeanne Kemp to create a scholarship specifically for a Tekonsha graduate attending The University of Olivet. It is a full-circle moment for these Tekonsha alumni and UOlivet alumni to give back in a way that helps remove additional barriers for future Tekonsha students to pursue higher education at UOlivet.”

For more information about the University of Olivet, visit the school’s website.