Qualified students graduating from Louisville high schools can receive automatic admission
to 农夫导航 under a new initiative that provides these students more
options for an affordable education in their hometown.
'Bellarmine Direct鈥� allows Louisville students from public and private high schools
who have earned at least a 2.75 grade point average to use a streamlined admission
process through an online form that takes less than five minutes to complete. Once
Bellarmine receives a Bellarmine Direct applicant鈥檚 high school transcript, that student
will be automatically admitted with a minimum scholarship of $18,000. There is no
cost to apply.
After completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the student
will receive a personalized financial aid package to demonstrate that a Bellarmine
education is priced competitively and can even be free.
"In recent years, we have found very clearly that students who earn at least a 2.75
GPA from Louisville high schools perform very well at Bellarmine, and we know that
70% of students who graduate from Bellarmine stay in Louisville and contribute to
the local economy through the workforce,鈥� said Dr. Susan M. Donovan, president of
农夫导航. 鈥淎 Bellarmine degree is a path to unrivaled outcomes, and our
commitment to Louisville through Bellarmine Direct is to help more qualified local
students see how this path to success through Bellarmine is viable for them by reducing
barriers in the college admissions process.鈥�
Donovan noted that 99% of Bellarmine鈥檚 Class of 2023 were either employed or in graduate
school within six months of graduation, according to the school鈥檚 survey of 2023 graduates.
Those Bellarmine graduates are paid more on average than graduates from any other
institution in Kentucky, according to data from the Kentucky Center for Statistics.
Three years after graduation, Bellarmine bachelor's degree recipients living in Kentucky
earn a median income 19% higher than the average median income for those holding bachelor's
degrees from all Kentucky institutions.
"农夫导航 has recognized that qualified JCPS students excel at Bellarmine,
and we have in turn seen Bellarmine graduates excel as teachers in our classrooms
and leaders in our district,鈥� said Dr. Marty Pollio, Superintendent of Jefferson County
Public Schools. 鈥淭he opportunity to keep more of our outstanding seniors in Louisville
by making sure they can easily explore another option for college is a win for our
community.鈥�
Pollio added that JCPS will partner with Bellarmine for rapid delivery of student
transcripts once a student has applied for admission through Bellarmine Direct and
will encourage counselors to nominate students for direct admission. Bellarmine has
similar agreements with all nine of the high schools within the Archdiocese of Louisville.
"Bellarmine and the Archdiocesan schools have a long history of partnership in embracing
the values and benefits of a Catholic education, and Bellarmine Direct offers our
graduating students the opportunity to continue to benefit from a Catholic education
while remaining connected to the Archdiocese," said Dr. Mary Beth Bowling, Superintendent
of Schools for the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Catholic high school graduates earning at least a 3.0 GPA receive an additional scholarship
at Bellarmine.
Louisville high school students who don鈥檛 quite have a 2.75 GPA are still highly encouraged
to apply for regular admission based on their high school achievements, as GPA is
only one factor the university considers for admission. In some cases, Bellarmine
can offer options including provisional admission to a summer bridge program at no
cost and even the chance to reapply through a streamlined transfer process after earning
community college credit.
鈥淭hrough our education partnerships with Bellarmine, we know they are preparing students
for great healthcare careers in nursing and respiratory therapy,鈥� said Leslie Martin,
director of workforce development for Norton Healthcare. 鈥淪implifying the application
process means more students can earn a quality degree from Bellarmine, which will
help our workforce and, ultimately, our community.鈥�
Bellarmine is committed to making college affordable by offering generous financial
aid options and initiatives. For example, the Public Price Promise guarantees that
eligible students can receive a private liberal arts education for a cost equivalent
to that of their home state's flagship public university. The Hope Kentucky Scholars
Program supports eligible students who are Kentucky residents and graduate from a
Kentucky high school, offering them full tuition coverage if they are Pell Grant and
Kentucky state grant recipients. These are among the ways students can access a high-quality
education, regardless of their financial circumstances.
The Bellarmine Direct application is available online at .