In Response to the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Race-Conscious College Admissions
June 29, 2023
Today, the Supreme Court announced its ruling regarding the consideration of race in college admissions, a decision that will have far-reaching negative consequences for students, for colleges, for the workforce, and for our democracy.
While we recognize that today’s ruling is a blow to our ability to address inequity in the admissions process, it cannot and will not deter our resolve to expand college access, to create diverse and inclusive communities for learning, and to educate and graduate talented students from all backgrounds. This ruling does mean that we will need to work harder within these new constraints to fulfill our mission: to inspire students to see college in their future and support them through a search and enrollment process that best positions them for college success, particularly students from backgrounds that are marginalized and underrepresented in higher education.
Because the presence of systemic racism means that equity gaps too often fall along racial lines, the Coalition for College will continue its focus on serving under-resourced communities, particularly high schools with higher percentages of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Unfortunately, these schools educate an overrepresented share of Black, Indigenous and Latinx students, and other communities that have been historically underrepresented on college campuses.
Through our new partnership with Scoir, which provides discounted services to these schools, we’re delivering a streamlined application process that reduces complexity and breaks down common barriers to equity. Specifically, students can now:
Manage most of the college search, application, and enrollment process from a single account
Discover and apply to colleges and universities with a proven commitment to graduating students on time and with low or no debt
Receive fee waivers easily and learn about them earlier
Enjoy collaboration with school counselors, parents and guardians, and advisors
In addition to continuous improvement of our application process, we’re also working across our membership to surface and share best practices in college recruitment and admissions and to collaborate on delivering free and trusted resources to those who need them. That includes coordinating visits to Title I-eligible high schools, hosting college-planning workshops for first-generation and limited-income students, and growing and supporting our national registry of community-based organizations that provide free college counseling.
While we are disappointed in today’s ruling by the court, we remain committed to supporting students from communities that have been historically marginalized from higher education – and doing all we can to identify and eliminate barriers that perpetuate inequity. True to our name, we believe in the power of doing this work together, and we’ll continue to build a coalition of people and organizations committed to this cause.
Learn how you can join us:
Stacey Kostell, CEO of the Coalition for College