Kristen Soares, the president of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, expressed to USA TODAY that the institutions her group represents are committed to diligently fulfilling the law’s scheduled implementation deadline of September 2025.
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“As private institutions, we have been clear that we are uncomfortable with the state dictating admission practices in our institutions, and the precedent it sets,” she said. “We have also been clear throughout the discussions on this bill that we welcome the opportunity to help ensure people have confidence in an admission process that is equitable for all.”
California’s governor from the Democratic party has given the green light to a new state statute on Monday, prohibiting private, nonprofit colleges from utilizing legacy or donor preferences during the admissions process. Admissions officers at these institutions will be unable to take into account whether a student’s parents attended or made donations to the university as a factor that could influence their decisions.
Bullet points you should know:
– Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the legislation, making California the second state, following Maryland, to prohibit legacy admissions at private colleges, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
– Legacy admissions are also prohibited at public schools in Colorado, Virginia, and Illinois.
– Gov. Wes Moore signed Maryland’s ban in April, which applies to both public and private schools.
– The new California law will have an impact on admissions decisions at some of the nation’s most exclusive and well-off private institutions, such as Stanford University and the University of Southern California.
