UNC Chapel Hill President Kevin M. Guskivic said in a statement Friday that “we abide by the Supreme Court’s decision in all respects.” “It means that race is not a factor in college admissions decisions. It means that we abide by court rulings that, in some circumstances, we may instead reveal individual characters and contributions.”
At the same time, Professor Guskiewicz promised that the university would make tuition free and cover the necessary expenses for undergraduates from states with family incomes of less than $80,000. The pledge will take effect for new students in the fall of 2024.
The court’s ruling did not impose any restrictions on race-neutral financial assistance.
UNC Chapel Hill already provides significant financial assistance to low-income families through a program called the Carolina Convention. Approximately 700 students are nominated for Covenant Scholars each year. The new initiative will expand that effort even further.
“We want students to understand that financial constraints should not be a barrier to their dreams,” Guskivic said. It is not immediately clear exactly how many students will qualify.
Guskiewicz said the university also plans to expand its recruiting efforts in the state “to spread awareness of affordability”.
This university has about 31,000 students. Most of the approximately 20,000 undergraduate students are from North Carolina. In-state tuition and fees for the next academic year total approximately $9,000. This does not include housing, food or other costs, nor does it include financial assistance.
Increasing support for students in need can help promote racial diversity. However, the effects can be mixed. Many of our financial aid recipients are white.
The Supreme Court’s ruling detailed several situations in which race can have an impact if an applicant writes about race in their admissions essay. In their majority decision, the judges noted that lived experiences of race that demonstrate courage, determination and leadership are legitimate subjects for admissions officers to review. But the ruling cautioned against any effort to “simply establish, through application papers or other means, a regime that we today call illegal.”
UNC Chapel Hill officials fear that removing the direct consideration of race in admissions would drastically reduce the number of black and Latino students enrolled in highly selective public universities. there is But they are looking for other ways to maintain diversity within the limits of the law.
