St. Vrain Valley and Metropolitan State University of Denver are partnering to create a pathway to higher education for the school district’s graduates.
MSU Denver will provide St. Vrain students with early access to admissions support, financial aid, campus events and career readiness through the agreement. Dubbed “First in the Flock,” the initiative is designed to streamline access to higher education and provide students with additional resources and support, district officials said.
MSU Denver offers close to 100 majors, as well as 10 graduate programs and 42 certificate programs. The college, located in downtown Denver, enrolls about 16,000 undergraduates and 1,000 graduate students.
Long Huynh, MSU Denver’s chief enrollment officer, said the university wanted to partner with St. Vrain because it’s “a very innovative school district.”
“This is more than just an agreement,” he said. “We will do anything to make their students’ higher education dreams a reality. We want to break down barriers and ensure students are well prepared even before their senior year. We want to help them prepare for a smooth transition to college.”
He said academic advisors can help St. Vrain students complete the college application, as well as apply for financial aid and choose a college program. St. Vrain students also will be invited to campus events so they can get familiar with the campus.
“I strongly believe this will help students be more successful,” he said. “Our hope is we can really connect with students who don’t think higher education is an option and show them MSU is the place for them.”
St. Vrain Valley Chief Academic Officer Diane Lauer said MSU Denver agreed to automatically admit all the district’s graduates as part of the partnership.
“This could be their very first college acceptance letter,” she said. “When they know they can do this, know they have been accepted and can go to college, it just opens up opportunity and hope. It builds confidence.”
She said the partnership is part of the district’s goal of providing more access at an earlier age to opportunities that prepare students for what they’ll do after graduation, including work-based learning, concurrent enrollment classes and industry certifications.
St. Vrain teachers in programs that correspond to majors offered at MSU Denver, such as aviation and cybersecurity, also can collaborate more closely with the university’s faculty to create clear pathways, she said.
“We’re always looking to elevate opportunities for students,” she said. “We want our students to know about opportunities much sooner than we have done in the past, and Metro State is willing to step up to the plate to do that.”
