DENTON (UNT), Texas -- High-achieving juniors in the Gainesville Independent School District are now guaranteed admission to the University of North Texas through UNT's Eagle Advantage program.

Juniors in Gainesville ISD who rank in the top 20 percent of their class will earn guaranteed admission to UNT. In addition, this year's Gainesville ISD seniors who rank in the top 20 percent will be grandfathered into the program, receiving automatic admission to UNT. After Fall 2015, guaranteed admission will apply only to juniors.

"Having Gainesville ISD's top students join UNT's Eagle Advantage program moves us closer to our goal of keeping the top talent in North Texas here in the region," said UNT President Neal Smatresk.

To be accepted into the Eagle Advantage program, qualified students need to apply to UNT and submit SAT or ACT scores. Qualified students also need to graduate with a recognized college preparatory diploma and satisfy Texas Success Initiatives (TSI) requirements.

"We've always had a great relationship with UNT," said Gainesville High School Principal David Glancy. "We've had Emerald Eagle Scholarship winners each year, and TRiO is an integral part of our college readiness program. The Eagle Advantage program strengthens our relationship and is a natural fit for us. We are excited about this tremendous opportunity."

UNT will have staff members on the high school campuses on a regular basis to assist students with admissions and financial aid applications.

Students in the new Eagle Advantage program are also invited to explore UNT's Eagle Express Tuition plan, which locks in a student's total academic cost for four years and offers an incentive of up to $4,000 if they graduate in four years.

"The University of North Texas is an amazing university that many of our students from Gainesville utilize to further their education," said Gainesville ISD Superintendent Jeffrey L. Brasher. "I believe the Eagle Advantage program will allow even more of our top students the opportunity to obtain higher education in a quality program, while staying closer to home."

Also, each high school involved in the Eagle Advantage program will receive a $1,000 scholarship to award to one junior who is part of Eagle Advantage. Gainesville ISD joins Denton, Arlington and Aubrey ISDs as the fourth school district to participate in the program.