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A new report by Education Reform Now has harsh words for legacy admissions.
Legacy preferences provide a birthright advantage to the children of alumni in the college admissions process, the report states. And they represent a textbook example of systemic racism, since most beneficiaries of legacy preferences are white, while students of color and students from low- and middle-income households are much more likely to be the first in their families to go to college.
The report includes several recommendations for change:
- Increase transparency by requiring disaggregated data reporting on legacy preference to the U.S. Department of Education.
- Make revenue from Title IV federal financial aid conditional on the elimination of legacy preference.
- Make revenue from state student aid conditional on the elimination of legacy preference.
- Impose an additional tax on the institutions subject to the endowment tax if they provide a legacy preference and lower the tax for those that do not.