Ting’s Legislation To End Donor & Legacy Preferences During The College Admissions Process Heads To The Governor

For immediate release:

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

The California State Legislature prioritized fairness and equity among college applicants today by approving AB 1780 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco). The legislation bans California private colleges and universities from giving preferential treatment to potential students whose family are alumni or significant donors to the school. This practice often results in a wealthier, less racially diverse student body.

"Equal opportunity is the name of the game here. Everyone should be considered fairly. Hard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class - not the size of the check your family can write or who you're related to," said Ting. "If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field. That means making the college application process more fair and equitable."

California's UCs, CSUs and community colleges already don't consider family or philanthropic connections in the admission process. But, the latest reports submitted to the state Legislature this summer show that for the Fall of 2023, six California colleges and universities continue to give preferential treatment to candidates related to graduates and donors. University of Southern California had the most, admitting 1,791 students in that category, while Stanford had 295. Santa Clara University reported far fewer with 38, compared to 1,133 the prior year. Claremont McKenna and Harvey Mudd each had 15 students. Northeastern had less than ten.

"The Campaign for College Opportunity applauds the Legislature's passage of AB 1780, which represents a significant step toward ensuring college admissions are based on fairness and merit - not family wealth and connections. By removing legacy and donor preferences that have reinforced racial and economic disparities at our state's private colleges for far too long, this bill helps create a more equitable path for students of all backgrounds to access higher education in California. We urge the Governor to sign this timely bill, calling the rest of our nation to challenge the attacks on our shared values of diversity and inclusion and courageously joining otherstates that have ended these discriminatory practices," said Jessie Ryan, President of the Campaign for College Opportunity.

When a school is suspected of violating the ban on legacy and donor admissions, the State Attorney General's Office can look into it. If found true, AB 1780 requires that college or university to submit more detailed reporting of students given preferential treatment than what is mandated in Ting's previous bill, AB 697.

"We thank Asm. Phil Ting and the Legislature for their commitment to expanding college access. AB 1780 will open up enrollment slots that were previously reserved only to those with wealth and influential connections. The passage of this bill will benefit all students, including many first-generation immigrants and college students," said Faith Lee at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL).

AB 1780 is in response to last summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that bans race considerations in the college admissions process. If race can't be a factor, Ting and other supporters believe wealth or relationships shouldn't be considered either. A recent study by Opportunities Insights, a group of economists based at Harvard University focusing their research on inequality, found children of the one-percent - defined as parents earning more than $611,000 a year - are more than twice as likely to admit a student from a high-income family when compared to low- or middle-income families with comparable SAT/ ACT scores.

Just this month, Illinois joined Colorado and Virginia in banning legacy admissions at public universities and colleges. Only Maryland prohibits the practice at both private and public institutions. New York, Massachusetts and Minnesota are considering similar proposals in their respective states.

The Governor has until the end of September to act on AB 1780.