Without Affirmative Action, Elite Colleges Are Prioritizing Economic Diversity in Admissions

Thesis

• After supreme court ban on affirmative action, elite colleges are pursuing socioeconomic diversity instead and are enrolling record numbers of low income (Pell-eligible) students.

• Racial diversity hasn’t followed

• trump administration says using income and geography in admissions is illegal and a “racial proxy”

Race-neutral admissions

The post-2023 legal environment. Income can be considered; race cannot

Class-based affirmative action

Kahlenberg’s approach, giving preference by economic hardship instead of race

Core tension

Economic diversity does not equal racial diversity

Strategies colleges use to raise economic diversity

• Recruiting

• Free tuition

• Meals and housing

• No legacy and donor preferences

• Lower campus costs

Factors the trump administration sees as racial proxies

• zip codes

• family income

• high school profile

• geography and scholarships aimed at underserved areas

Rawls

Fair equality of opportunity — people with similar talent should get similar chances regardless of class.

Difference principle — should help lowest classes

Nozick

Admissions should respect entitlement and voluntary choices.

Legacy preferences are voluntary

DiTomaso

Favoritism and networks

John Rice

Third degree racism: institutions not unwinding practices that disadvantage people of color.

Goldin/West & Tenpas

Structural inequality and elite reproduction (the top 1% at elite schools)

What is a pell grant

Federal scholarships for students with the lowerst level of need.