California is planning to stop the traditional legacy college privileges for alumni children and donors in prestigious private universities such as Stanford and USC. The AB1780 bill has been passed by both the Senate and the Assembly and is now awaiting Governor Newsom’s approval.
The AB1780 bill, officially titled “Independent institutions of higher education: legacy and donor preference in admissions: prohibition,” was introduced by Democratic State Assembly Member Phil Ting from the 19th District. It passed the Assembly with a vote of 26-5 (9 absent) and the Senate with a unanimous vote of 55-0 (25 absent).
This isn’t the first time Ting has introduced such a proposal. He was also behind the AB5 legislation implemented in January 2020, which affected a wide range of freelance workers in California across various industries like drivers, healthcare professionals, caregivers, writers, translators, and educators.
The purpose of AB1780 is to create a more fair system of opportunities for all students. With concerns arising after the Supreme Court ruling that banned affirmative action in college admissions, there were worries that legacy admissions would further benefit privileged individuals. Studies have shown that legacy admissions disproportionately favor wealthy students and white applicants.
After the Senate approved the proposal on the 27th, Ting took to social media on the 28th to share, “My bill aims to put an end to preferential treatment based on legacy and donor connections in university admissions. It’s on its way to the governor! Applicants with family ties or wealth shouldn’t sneak in through the side door, taking away spots from qualified students. Fairness and equity must come first.”
The Campaign for College Opportunity, a co-sponsor of the bill, believes that legacy admissions contribute to existing disparities in higher education. For example, in 2020, 21% of new admits at Notre Dame were children of alumni while only 4% were Black. In that same year, the admission rate for Harvard legacy applicants was five times higher than non-legacy applicants. AB1780 sends a strong message that California believes influence and money shouldn’t determine who gains entry to our esteemed colleges and universities, emphasizing equal opportunities for all students regardless of their background, income level, or skin color.
The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), founded in 1955, has expressed a differing opinion on AB1780. They argue that penalizing institutions providing legacy and donor preferences with civil penalties equal to the amount of Cal Grant money they receive and having these fines recouped by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) is not within the agency’s purview.
The BPPE, established under the California Department of Consumer Affairs in 2010, supervises private postsecondary institutions operating in California. AICCU, representing over 85 independent non-profit colleges and universities in California, clarifies the principles and priorities of these institutions in the state’s higher education ecosystem.
AICCU states that they are committed to collaborating with the bill’s proponents without impeding low-income students from accessing Cal Grants. They will provide appropriate disclosures, including whether applicants are given priority based on alumni connections, ensuring that institutions collect applicant information for purposes unrelated to admission but still crucial, such as eligibility for scholarships, communication, or academic programs.
California is home to 90 non-profit independent higher education institutions. According to a 2024 report from AICCU, 78% of California independent colleges and universities serve Yellow Ribbon institutions for American veterans, 75% serve Hispanic-serving institutions, and 48% of Cal Grant recipients at these schools are first-generation college students.
Of the 70 schools that receive Cal Grants, 65 reported in the 2022-23 academic year that they did not give priority admission based on alumni or donor relationships, with 5 providing preference. In the 2022 report, Stanford University had 13.5% of admitted students with both legacy and donor characteristics, while USC had 14% in the 2022-23 academic year.
Stanford University stated, “In our holistic review, we consider an applicant’s full accomplishments and characteristics, including legacy or charitable factors, but academic excellence is the primary criterion for admission. If an applicant lacks academic competitiveness, existing family ties or historical donations to the university are meaningless in the overall admission process.”
The University of Southern California’s report mentioned, “While we appreciate our alumni and donors, without them, we would not exist; but these relationships do not guarantee admission to USC. In fact, these relationships do not assist ineligible applicants in gaining admission.”