Trump mandates institutions of higher education to demonstrate they avoid racial factors in admission processes
President Trump has ordered a new policy that requires colleges to submit detailed admissions data, aiming to enforce a strictly race-neutral process in college admissions. The policy follows the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that banned affirmative action in college admissions but allowed consideration of how race has shaped students' lives if voluntarily disclosed in admissions essays.
Under the new policy, colleges will be required to report the race, grade point average (GPA), standardized test scores, and other academic characteristics of applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students at both undergraduate and certain graduate levels. The U.S. Department of Education, under Secretary Linda McMahon, has been directed to collect this data via the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and to implement rigorous audits to ensure accuracy and consistency across institutions.
The impact on colleges includes increased federal oversight and auditing of admissions practices, the requirement to publicly release admissions statistics, including race-related data, and pressure to comply strictly with the ban on racial considerations, limiting how personal essays referencing race can be used. Colleges that fail to submit timely, complete, and accurate data may face action under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
The policy comes amidst indications that after affirmative action bans, some colleges have struggled to maintain or rebound Black and Hispanic enrollments. For instance, the University of California saw a decrease in Black and Hispanic enrollments after the statewide ban on affirmative action in 1996. Similarly, Black students have a smaller presence at Berkeley than they did in 1996, accounting for 4% of undergraduates.
It's important to note that the new policy does not prohibit colleges from considering race if applicants voluntarily disclose its impact on their lives in admissions essays, as per the 2023 Supreme Court ruling. However, the Trump administration accuses colleges of circumventing this ruling by using personal statements and other proxies to indirectly consider race, which they view as illegal discrimination.
The universities agreed to give the government data on the race, GPA, and standardized test scores of applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students, similar to parts of recent settlement agreements the government negotiated with Brown University and Columbia University. They also agreed to be audited by the government and to release admissions statistics to the public.
The long-term effects of this policy remain to be seen, but it represents a significant tightening of controls on college admissions with respect to race, aiming to ensure a strictly race-neutral process as defined by the Trump administration and backed by recent legal rulings.
- In light of the new policy, there will be an increased focus on education and self-development, as colleges take steps to preserve and improve diversity in their student body, while adhering to the strict race-neutral admissions process mandated by the policy.
- Policy and legislation surrounding college admissions and lifelong learning will continue to be a hot topic in politics, as stakeholders consider the implications of the new policy on general news, particularly its potential impact on colleges and the race-related data they will be required to report.
- With the Trump administration set on ensuring a strict race-neutral policy in college admissions, lifelong learning and the pursuit of knowledge in academic settings will now be guided by stricter audits and federal oversight, as the United States Department of Education works to collect data and enforce compliance with the new policy.
