Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Monday banning legacy and donor preferences in admissions for private colleges and universities.
After passing the Senate in August, Gov. Newsom signed the Democrat-led bill, which was introduced by assembly members Phil Ting, Kevin McCarty and Lori Wilson in January, according to the bill text. It is set to take effect on Sept. 1, 2025, and would keep private higher education institutions from picking a student based on their relationship to an alum or donor of the university.
The push to end legacy admissions took off after the Supreme Court banned race-based admissions in June 2023, EdSource reported. In 2019, Ting tried to propose a similar bill after the “Varsity Blues” incident, where some top colleges and universities faced scrutiny over admitting students who used fake test scores and athletic qualifications.
In 2023, the University of Southern California noted that 14.5% of the admitted students included relatives of alumni or donors, The Los Angeles Times reported. Stanford University stated that 13.6% of the admitted students for fall 2023 were connected to alumni or donors.
“Equal opportunity is the name of the game here. Everyone should be considered fairly,” Ting said in an August press release. “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. If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field. That means making the college application process more fair and equitable.”
SOUTH HAVEN, MICHIGAN – JULY 4: California Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigns for President Joe Biden at the Van Buren County Democratic Party’s “BBQ for Biden-Harris” event. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Educational institutions have until late 2026 to comply with the law and are required to report if they have complied or violated the changes, the bill text states. Schools that violate the rules are required to be posted on the Department of Justice’s website by the next fiscal year.
The higher education institutions are also required to share information on the newly enrolled students and “the admission rate of students who are provided a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions, as compared to the admission rate of students who are not provided a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions.”
“In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work,” Newsom stated in a press release. “The California Dream shouldn’t be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we’re opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly.”
California is the fifth state to ban legacy admissions, following Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Maryland, according to FOX News. Maryland is the only state that currently has legacy admissions banned for both public and private higher education institutions. (RELATED: Nationwide Campaign To End Legacy Admissions At Universities Gains Steam)
Virginia banned legacy admissions in March for public colleges and universities in the state. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the bill, which had bipartisan support after passing the Virginia Senate 39-0.
McCarty and Wilson’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. Gov. Newsom’s office deferred the Daily Caller News Foundation to the press release.
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