Stephen F. Austin State University is partnering with AISD to offer eligible students automatic admission into the university, including an application fee waiver.

“Guaranteed admission to students ranked in the top 50%, which is pretty significant,” Allen High School Principal Matthew Russell said. ”If you’re in the top quarter with a 3.0 or higher, you get a $3000 renewable scholarship every year, if you’re top 10%, that’s a $5000 scholarship.”

SFA started talks of a partnership with Allen last year when Russell headed down to Nacogdoches to meet with the university. 

“I got the opportunity to go down and visit with him [President of SFA] and it was interesting because I came with some bullet points, notes on my phone, well the president comes with a whole presentation for me,” Russell said. 

SFA leadership returned the visit last school year to tour the facilities Allen offers to students before a partnership was officially formed.               

“[We] showed them the whole campus, STEAM center, the Collin College campus that we have and got to talk about our graduates,” Russell said. 

SFA is hoping many graduates will decide to pursue higher education with them especially as they open new programs and centers. 

“They are opening a brand-new culinary program,” Russell said. “They are investing a ton of money into a new STEM center down there.”

Allen also has partnerships with Tarleton State University and UNiversity of North Texas. For more information, contact the AHS College and Career center.