By Idris Yusuf
Cuyahoga Community College works hand in hand with high schoolers to alleviate the stress of transitioning into higher education through the Direct Admission Partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District(CMSD). This great innovation grants all students of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District direct admission to all Tri-C campuses, and as a result, this enables students to pursue higher education while ensuring the future of Cuyahoga County and Northeast Ohio as a whole is secured.
Many students living in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District suffer from financial burdens and a lack of funding from their school district. As a result, many of these students might decide to find different alternatives after graduating from high school to make ends meet. Furthermore, some have to provide not only for themselves but for their family. This burden can be heavy, especially when it must be carried alone. Fortunately, Dr. Michael Baston, President of Cuyahoga Community College, took the initiative to embrace change for these students. Dr. Baston explained that his goal was to create opportunities for these young students after high school so that they don’t go down the wrong path, as well as “entice young people to stay in Northeast Ohio,” as it is “valuable to the region’s growth.” Dr. Baston thinks of them not just as graduating high schoolers, but as Ohio’s future.
Taking a deeper dive into this collaboration between Tri-C and CMSD, it is important to understand the agreement between the two educational bodies. Enacted in December 2024, this initiative guarantees direct admission to Tri-C for all graduating classes from CMSD. This is a massive leap forward in encouraging youth to pursue higher education. The truth of the matter is, that some students might not be the most academically capable. They might not be the best at sitting in a classroom, learning concepts, and getting quizzed on them right after—and it’s not their fault. Each student has their strengths, even if they don’t quite know what they are yet. This opportunity allows students to explore different opportunities and to find and hone their strengths. Whether students want to challenge themselves with rigorous courses like algebra, chemistry, humanities, or calculus, the opportunities are provided here at Tri-C. As for students who want to focus on more hands-on skills, they can go into the trades programs provided by Tri-C, which offer carpentry, construction, painting, woodworking, etc. Tri-C also has a strong nursing program that allows them to practice hospitality and develop both theoretical and hands-on skills. Whatever students want to pursue after graduating high school, those opportunities are provided here at Tri-C.
Regarding pricing, students who are graduates of Cleveland Metropolitan School District have the opportunity to apply for the Say Yes Cleveland Scholarship, which is part of the agreement between Tri-C and CMSD. What this does is it “eliminates the burden of paying for college tuition by providing every eligible CMSD graduate with a scholarship to attend,” as explained on Say Yes’s platform. As of April 2025, over 2,100 CMSD graduates are eligible for this scholarship. Top this off with the scholarships provided by Tri-C, and students could even get paid to go to Cuyahoga Community College.
The opportunities are vast with the introduction of the collaboration between Tri-C and Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Students aren’t alone on their academic journey, and due to the plethora of resources, we can ensure that students have a chance to pursue higher education after high school while still investing in Northeast Ohio’s future.
