CBS News: Massachusetts lawmakers target “affirmative action for the wealthy”
“Lawmakers in Massachusetts are proposing a new fee that would be levied on the state's colleges and universities that use legacy preferences when admitting students, including Harvard University and Williams College, a highly ranked small liberal arts college. Any money raised by the fee would then be used to fund community colleges within the state.”
From: CBS News
Excerpt:
“Lawmakers in Massachusetts are proposing a new fee that would be levied on the state's colleges and universities that use legacy preferences when admitting students, including Harvard University and Williams College, a highly ranked small liberal arts college. Any money raised by the fee would then be used to fund community colleges within the state.
The proposed law comes as a civil rights group earlier this month sued Harvard over legacy admissions at the Ivy League school, alleging the practice discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair advantage to the mostly White children of alumni. Harvard and Williams didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Highly ranked schools such as Harvard have long relied on admissions strategies that, while legal, are increasingly sparking criticism for giving a leg up to mostly White, wealthy students. Legacy students, the children of faculty and staff, recruited athletes and kids of wealthy donors represented 43% of the White students admitted to Harvard, a 2019 study found.
"Legacy preference, donor preference and binding decision amount to affirmative action for the wealthy," Massachusetts Rep. Simon Cataldo, one of the bill's co-sponsors, told CBS MoneyWatch.
The Massachusetts lawmakers would also fine colleges that rely on another strategy often criticized as providing an unfair advantage to students from affluent backgrounds: early-decision applications, or when students apply to a school before the general admissions round. Early decision usually has a higher acceptance rate than the general admissions pool, but it typically draws wealthier applicants because the decision is binding.”
