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NEW ORLEANS — The University of New Orleans has unveiled an instant admit program for graduates of Orleans Parish Public Schools.

According to a news release from UNO, students who graduate from an Orleans Parish public high school and meet straightforward grade point average and ACT requirements are guaranteed admission to the university.

President John Nicklow and Orleans Parish Schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis signed a memorandum of understanding during a ceremony on the University of New Orleans campus Tuesday morning. Students must meet the following requirements to be admitted:

• Be a graduate of an Orleans Parish Public High School with a 2.5 GPA or greater

• Scored at least a 19 in math and an 18 in English on the ACT

• Submitted an application for admission (no application fee is required for students in metro New Orleans).

The objective of the program is to reduce barriers that may prevent some students from applying to college and to help local high school students see themselves as college students and, ultimately, graduates.

“Applying to college does not need to be as complicated and anxiety-inducing a process as some fear,” Nicklow said. “We want students in our backyard to know that applying to their local public research university can actually be quite simple. Those students who are admitted are also eligible for thousands of dollars in academic scholarships.”

“Many of our students have to attend colleges locally because they have family obligations, so it’s good to know that there are opportunities here at home to continue their education so that they can have the brightest future possible,” Lewis said.