GREEN BAY, WI — Green Bay high school graduates can automatically go on to college without even applying. The Green Bay Area Public School District and U-W Green Bay are partnering on a new program called “RISE”. Beginning in 2024 all Green Bay graduates will be immediately accepted at UWGB without going through the application process. Jen Jones, the UWGB Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services, says automatic acceptance eliminates an obstacle for some students who want a post high school education.
“We are accepting students from all different backgrounds and perspectives, ” Jones says. “And we are saying ‘Why are we making this administrative step where they feel they have to earn that spot, they feel they have to be accepted?’ There’s a gate perception that they may or may not get accepted at the university.”
Jones says under the RISE program college admission officials also help students in deciding their post high school education needs.
“We have career coaches or admission advisors embedded in our schools in the Green Bay Public School District,” she says. “And they’re working right along sides students helping them assess if college is for them, how to navigate the college application process, all the things it takes to actually enroll at the university.”
Jones calls “RISE” a winning proposition for students and future employers.
“We know students who graduate from U-W Green Bay stay in our region. They stay in northeast Wisconsin,” she says. “So, we know it’s not only getting the students themselves a living, earning wage. But also we’re able to feed our economy, feeding our communities by attracting more students to finish the degree here.”
The Rise program is designed for students who want or need to stay in the community, those who cannot afford the cost of living on campus or who want to work while attending college.
