The University of Missouri has selected the Farmington School District as one of just five Missouri school districts to launch a groundbreaking new direct admission program, giving Farmington high school students a direct line to Mizzou.

Through this initiative, qualifying Farmington students can secure guaranteed admission to Mizzou without filling out a traditional application or paying an application fee.

Students enrolled in designated Early College Programs automatically qualify if they meet two key benchmarks by the end of their junior year: earn a minimum 3.0 core GPA and complete at least 12 college credit hours.

“This opportunity is another example of how our dual credit program can help students get a head start on their futures,” explained Farmington High School Principal Dr. Jamie LaMonds. “By earning college credit while in high school, students can challenge themselves academically, potentially reduce the overall cost of college, and now, for qualifying students, have a direct pathway to one of Missouri's premier universities. I want to thank our counselors, teachers, Dual Credit Advisor and partners, rootEd advisor, and everyone who has worked to make dual credit opportunities available to our students. Most importantly, congratulations to our students who are taking advantage of these opportunities and investing in their futures.”

LaMonds believes Farmington was selected as one of the first five schools because of student performance. "When Mizzou originally reached out to create this partnership, they indicated our students were prepared and statistically more successful," she noted.

Farmington’s inclusion in the program's initial rollout follows months of behind-the-scenes planning, according to Erica Dement, Dual Credit & Internship Coordinator at Farmington High School.

“Mitzi Clayton from Mizzou reached out to me in the spring to provide information about the Direct Admission program and to see if Farmington would be interested in serving as a pilot school,” Dement said. “They emphasized that over the last few years, they have noticed an increase in the number of Farmington graduates coming to Mizzou who have already completed 12+ dual credit hours, so they felt this would be a great opportunity for our students. We currently have about 250 students in grades 10–12 taking dual credit courses at Farmington High School.”

Dement noted that the partnership reflects the strong academic work happening across the district.

“Whether they are taking a few courses or pursuing their Associate of Arts degree by the time they graduate high school, I think it shows that our students are willing to challenge themselves academically and are dedicated to setting themselves up for a successful future,” Dement added. “I am excited that we already have several students from the Class of 2028 who have expressed interest in this opportunity, and I will be working directly with Mizzou to guide these students through the next steps.”

Eligible juniors will be officially notified of their guaranteed spot at Mizzou no later than August 1, right before their senior year begins.

For students aiming even higher, completing an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree before high school graduation fully satisfies Mizzou’s general education requirements. This allows incoming Farmington graduates to dive straight into upper-level coursework for their majors, saving significant time and tuition.

“We are really excited to have our students be able to attend Mizzou as a partner school,” said Farmington Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy. “We already partner with the University of Missouri on some of our dual credit enrollment classes, and this is a great additional opportunity for our students here at Farmington.”

Farmington joins Columbia Public Schools, Lee’s Summit School District, Liberty Public Schools, and North Kansas City Schools in the inaugural cohort. Shayne Martin, Director of Media Relations and Public Affairs at Mizzou, noted that the university reached out to eligible districts with strong existing partnerships that expressed immediate interest.

While the program begins with these five pilot districts, Martin expects the University to expand the initiative across the state in the coming years. “I’m pretty confident there will be another round, but I'm not sure when,” he said.