New program allows MPS juniors to apply to MATC and UW-Milwaukee for free

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee Public Schools students now have a simpler and less expensive way of applying to two local colleges.

The Milwaukee Direct Admit program reduces barriers such a paperwork and eliminates application fees for MPS juniors who are interested in attending UW-Milwaukee and Milwaukee Area Technical College. 

"Some are charging $25, some are charging upwards of $60, $70," said Kay Eilers, the associate vice chancellor for enrollment management at UW-Milwaukee.

A piece of paper can determine your future, but for some, the stressful part of college decisions isn’t waiting for an admission letter.

"Just the simple question of whether or not I should go to college can be affected by how complicated the system might even just appear," said Marwill Santiago, the director of recruitment at MATC.

John Hill, the director of college and career readiness at Milwaukee Public Schools, says students might not apply to college because of a complicated application process. 

"If they’re uncertain whether they’ll get in, that application is kind of an excuse not to move forward," said Hill. 

Santiago says students who are first generation are one of the many groups who face barriers when applying to college.

"At home, they don’t have the type of support many of us have when making these kinds of college decisions," said Santiago.

That’s why MATC and UW-Milwaukee are simplifying that process.

"Through our Milwaukee Direct Admit program, students at MPS that are current juniors can go into their own portal and tell us they’re interested in participating," said Eilers. 

UW-Milwaukee says students will no longer have to worry about application fees or filling out multiple forms.

"Reducing some of those administrative barriers, the paperwork barriers that students and their families face with the college admissions process," said Eilers. 

MPS says more than 100 students have already applied through this program, allowing all MPS students to think about their future beyond an application. 

"By the time they return to school their senior year, they will know if they are admitted to one or both," said Hill. "Think of the power it brings to them.”