UW–Madison’s Taylor Odle, an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy Studies, is receiving widespread national and state media attention for his leadership on a major initiative aimed at transforming college admissions and financial aid access in Tennessee.
As the principal investigator and research partner for the Tennessee Direct Admissions pilot, Odle is helping lead one of the largest college access experiments in U.S. history — impacting over 60,000 high school seniors in the state. The groundbreaking pilot, launched this July by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), automatically admits eligible students to participating in-state colleges based on existing academic data, with no applications, essays, or fees. For many students, it also includes personalized financial aid estimates — making Tennessee the first state to pair automatic admissions with upfront financial information.
“Too much red tape complicates students’ pathways to college — limiting who can get a degree and access a well-paying job,” said Odle in a Forbes article about the project. “By simplifying the college admissions and financial aid processes in tandem, we are taking a monumental step in making college more accessible and sending a clear message to students: There is a place for you in college — and there are resources to help you afford it.”
Odle is also overseeing the research component of the pilot alongside partners at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The study will assess how receiving admissions and financial aid letters — separately or together — impacts college enrollment outcomes.
The pilot includes 53 colleges across Tennessee, including community colleges, technical colleges, and public and private four-year institutions. Approximately 41,000 students from randomly selected high schools will receive direct admissions letters this fall, with over 20,000 of those also receiving tailored financial aid estimates. Students only need to complete the short Tennessee Promise form by Nov. 1 to participate.
The project has garnered significant national and local media attention, with coverage in:
- The Chronicle of Higher Education: “A Novel Approach: Tennessee Will Pair Direct-Admission Offers With Financial-Aid Estimates”
- Axios Nashville: “Tennessee launches automatic college admission in 230 high schools”
- Higher Ed Dive: “Tennessee launches direct admissions pilot with student aid component”
- Forbes: “Tennessee Becomes Latest State To Offer Automatic College Admissions”
- Yahoo News, WREG News Memphis, WKRN Nashville, WGNS Radio, WGRV News, NBC 39, The Pulse, Sequatchie Valley Now, and The Greeneville Sun
Additionally, THEC released a press statement on July 23 officially announcing the program, calling it a “bold step toward eliminating the barriers that prevent too many students from taking the next step after high school.”
The initiative has received nearly $2 million in philanthropic support from the Lumina Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Odle and his team will share findings from the pilot with national policymakers, education leaders, and higher education institutions to inform similar efforts in other states. As the project moves forward, it stands to become a scalable model for reimagining how students navigate the path to college.
Read more about the project in this article from the School of Education’s Office of Research and Scholarship.