New initiative aims to simplify college admissions in North Carolina

The Great Admissions Redesign program will provide $3.5 million in grants to make the process more student-centered.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 8:27am

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An abstract, impressionistic photograph of several blurred figures of high school students walking together on a sunny campus, their forms and faces obscured in soft pools of warm color and light.The Great Admissions Redesign initiative aims to make the college application process less stressful and more welcoming for students across North Carolina.Tar Heel Today

A new initiative by the Lumina Foundation aims to make the college admissions process simpler, more student-centered, and potentially more joyful. The Great Admissions Redesign program will provide $3.5 million in grants to 10 states, university systems, and institutions, including the University of North Carolina system, to implement reforms like direct admissions where colleges proactively offer admission to students.

Why it matters

The reforms are intended to reduce the stress and uncertainty of the traditional college application process, which often requires students to repeatedly prove their worthiness through essays, recommendations, and other forms. Supporters argue these changes will encourage more students to believe they can succeed in college.

The details

The Great Admissions Redesign initiative will fund efforts to spread awareness about the new admissions process, which in its first year offered direct admission to over 60,000 North Carolina public high school seniors. The UNC system plans to use the grant money to help educate students and families across the state about the availability of direct admissions and financial aid.

  • In its first year, the UNC system's direct admissions program offered admission to more than 60,000 North Carolina public high school seniors.
  • The Great Admissions Redesign initiative will provide $3.5 million in grants starting in 2026.

The players

Lumina Foundation

A nonprofit organization focused on increasing the proportion of working-age adults who hold a credential that helps them find gainful employment.

University of North Carolina System

The public university system in the state of North Carolina, which is one of the recipients of the Great Admissions Redesign grants.

Melanie Heath

The strategy director at the Lumina Foundation.

Patti Harris

The senior director of student access initiatives for the UNC system.

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What they’re saying

“There's so much potential to remove that stress and uncertainty by switching the process from students having to prove themselves worthy again and again of these programs and of these institutions, and instead, just saying 'you're already in. We want you here. You are college material. Come.'”

— Melanie Heath, Strategy Director, Lumina Foundation

“We have a great deal of the infrastructure in place. That definitely was a great starting point for us, but we realized very early on, when doing such a large and very important statewide initiative, maximizing the messaging to our necessary audiences is very important.”

— Patti Harris, Senior Director of Student Access Initiatives, UNC System

What’s next

The University of North Carolina system plans to use the grant money to help spread awareness about their new direct admissions process across the state.

The takeaway

This initiative aims to make the college admissions process less stressful and more accessible for students in North Carolina, removing barriers and encouraging more to believe they can succeed in higher education.