The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) is working with K-12 education, community college and university partners on establishing direct admissions, a state initiative to make the college admissions process more accessible for students. The name for Oregon’s direct admissions program is Open Doors Oregon, and in Spanish, Abriendo Puertas Oregon.
When Open Doors Oregon is implemented statewide, academically qualified Oregon high school students will be directly informed of their eligibility for admission to some or all Oregon public and private institutions. The direct admissions process will be simpler and less time-consuming for students than the usual college admissions process.
On this page, partners in Oregon’s K-12 school districts and education service districts, community colleges and universities can learn about the status of this developing initiative and find guidance for implementation. Open Doors Oregon is not yet available for Oregon students; however, students and families who are interested in exploring postsecondary opportunities can find key links at key links at Access College and Training.
Background
In 2024, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1552 requiring HECC to establish a direct admissions program with all Oregon public higher education institutions. The goals of direct admission are to:
- Increase the enrollment of Oregon high school students who demonstrate potential to be successful in college but are not currently applying,
- Reduce the burden of the college application process for Oregon students; and
- Remove financial barriers for Oregon students seeking postsecondary education.
In addition to the requirement to establish the direct admissions program, HECC and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) are required to coordinate and plan to make student data available to support the program.
In 2025, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2421, expanding the direct admissions program administered by the HECC to include eligible, Oregon private institutions that agree to participate.
Questions and Answers on Open Doors Oregon, the State's Direct Admissions Initiative
When Open Doors Oregon is launched statewide, we anticipate that every public high school student in Oregon will be informed about which Oregon community colleges, universities, and private participating institutions are available to them for further study, based on key academic criteria. Students will have access to a website to initiate communication with the schools they have interest in attending to learn about costs, financial aid and make a decision about where they will enroll.
Oregon has named its direct admissions program Open Doors Oregon, and in Spanish, Abriendo Puertas Oregon. The type of program is a direct admissions program. The term direct admissions is in originating legislation and used in statewide planning.
Open Doors Oregon, and in Spanish, Abriendo Puertas Oregon, will ultimately be the names that students and families see when they receive news of Oregon’s direct admissions opportunity. When the program is launched statewide, these names will be used in marketing, websites, and communications to students.
No, current criteria and processes for admissions at Oregon’s community colleges and universities will not go away. All Oregon students will still be able to research, select, and apply to the colleges and universities of their choice. The student experience of a direct admissions process will be simpler than the usual college admissions process, but both processes will be available.
Although there is not a specific timeline or deadline written in the legislation, the HECC and numerous partners are actively working on the initiative.
The beginning phase of this program is focused on planning for the statewide implementation of direct admissions. The beginning phase also includes implementing local direct admissions partnerships for regions that are ready to proceed. The HECC is designing a statewide program and a plan for collecting and sharing the data needed to scale up the regional programs into a statewide initiative.
The HECC has also developed a marketing identity for direct admissions that will be used when the statewide program is launched.
In spring of 2023, the HECC Office of Academic Policy and Authorization started convening partners to address the challenges and opportunities involved in implementing direct admissions across Oregon. In February of 2024, this coalition evolved into the Direct Admissions Work Group. This Work Group, which is advisory to HECC staff, includes representatives from public universities, community colleges, Oregon Department of Education and school district leaders. In addition, in 2026, the HECC is in the process of establishing a Youth Advisory Board to provide input on the design and implementation of the statewide direct admissions program.
The Direct Admissions Work Group has also formed several sub-groups to address specific topics within direct admissions. To date, the Workgroup has explored the following topics:
- Creating processes for identifying, admitting, and welcoming high school students;
- Seeking funding for regional pilot direct admissions programs;
- Defining the responsibilities of schools, districts, education service districts, and higher education institutions;
- Refining the steps in the admissions process so it is understandable for students, families, and school leaders;
- Sharing information about financial aid opportunities;
- Marketing identity of the program; and
- Strategies to ensure ongoing student support to promote retention and success.
The HECC established the marketing identity in 2025 to prepare for future marketing and outreach to students. The identity was established with the assistance of a public relations contractor, and with consultation from the Direct Admissions Work Group and high school students.
Direct admissions will be scaled according to available funding options. Planning for statewide implementation is underway, and regional implementation is beginning.
In 2025, the Oregon Legislature through HB 5006 authorized support for one permanent staff position at the HECC to support and support designing the direct admissions initiative. Previously in 2024-25, there was no dedicated funding to implement the program but partners were engaged in planning.
The Workgroup is exploring funding scenarios that describe what can be accomplished with varying levels of investment.
Direct Admissions Implementation Toolkit
The HECC has been convening a statewide Direct Admissions Work Group—advisory to staff—to develop recommendations and share best practices for successful statewide implementation of direct admissions. The Direct Admissions Work Group has created a Best Practices Guide to ensure a collaborative and equitable approach to implementing direct admissions across Oregon’s school districts, state agencies, community colleges, and public universities. The guide is informed by experts from states that have implemented similar programs, and focuses on fostering opportunities for all students.