Bo Tefu, Lila Brown and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
The California Assembly approved a bill that bans admissions based on legacy ties and donor preferences at colleges and universities statewide with a 55-0 vote on May 21.
Assemblymember Phil Ting (D- San Francisco) and Tasha Boerner (D-Encinitas) co-authored Assembly Bill (AB) 1780, which will now be considered by the State Senate for approval.
Ting said he introduced the bill in response to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that banned race considerations for college admissions.
“If you work hard, get good grades, and have a well-rounded background, your spot should not be taken by someone else just because their family can write a big check or is a graduate of that school,” Ting said.
It is well documented that a number of prominent universities around the U.S. consider legacy and affiliation with donors in the admissions process. At Stanford University, over 13% of admitted students have connections to alumni or donors. More than 14% of newly admitted students at the University of Southern California have similar ties.
If the Legislature approves AB 1780 and Gov. Newsom signs it into law, the state will impose a civil fine equal to the amount of CalGrants the university or college received in the previous year.
“If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field,” Ting said.
California is set to join Maryland, Colorado, and Virginia in banning legacy and donor admissions at public and private institutions if the law gets approved.
