ROUND ROCK, Texas — Editor's note: An earlier version of the story stated that only the top 50% of Round Rock High School graduates could receive automatic acceptance. It has since been corrected to reflect all high school graduates within the district.
The top 50% of Round Rock ISD high school graduates can receive an automatic acceptance to Tarleton State University.
According to KVUE’s media partners at the Austin American-Statesmen, district officials say the new partnership with the university allows high-achieving students to have opportunities to attend higher education institutions.
"As educators, we are responsible for ensuring that our students have the best opportunities to pursue higher education if they wish to follow that route," Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez told the Statesman. "This partnership with Tarleton State University is a significant step toward achieving that goal as it provides a seamless transition to higher education for 50% of our students. We are grateful for their support in this endeavor and encourage our students to utilize the resources and opportunities available to them through partnership like these."
The top 50% of students will also have their ACT and SAT requirements and application fees waived.
Round Rock ISD grads who are accepted and qualify for Tarleton's guaranteed scholarship program will receive an additional $1,000 to the aid they qualify for.
For the 2023 graduating class, up to 1,798 students would qualify for admission to the university, according to the Statesman.
Other participating districts include Del Valle, Eanes, Elgin, Georgetown, Hays, Lake Travis, Leander and New Braunfels.
Tarleton State University’s main campus is in Stephenville in North Texas. It is a founding member of the Texas A&M university system.