The U.S. Department of Justice released the “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination” memorandum on July 29, followed by President Trump signing the “Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions” presidential memorandum on August 7. The Asian American Coalition for Education (AACE) issued a statement on August 14, praising these two milestone executive actions, believing that they will help restore fairness, justice, and transparency in university admissions.
The memorandum issued by the Attorney General explicitly prohibits the use of race or race-based proxies in admissions (such as zip codes, socioeconomic status, or essay topics that steer applicants towards revealing their racial identity). The memorandum restates that any direct or indirect use of racial identity violates federal civil rights laws and the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Harvard admissions case regarding student fairness.
The presidential memorandum signed by Trump requires universities to publicize admission standards and data, strengthen accountability mechanisms, and prevent explicit or implicit racial discrimination.
The AACE stated yesterday that these measures represent a significant victory for the merit-based admission system in higher education, embodying a firm commitment to protecting equal educational rights. The coalition pointed out that many recommendations from its 2023 policy paper, “Urgent Call for Merit-based Admissions in the U.S. College Admissions Process,” have been implemented in this administrative action, including banning racial preferences and proxies, enhancing transparency and accountability mechanisms, and upholding federal civil rights protections for Asian Americans and all applicants.
AACE President Yu Kong Zhao said, “AACE has long advocated for fairness, equal opportunity, and merit-based admissions, and these measures reflect our core values. We highly commend President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for their outstanding leadership in restoring merit-based admissions systems and protecting the civil rights of all students.”
AACE also warned that if universities attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) case, whether through covert use of racial proxies, subjective evaluations, or opaque admissions standards, they will face public scrutiny and legal challenges. The coalition pledged to continue advocating for the implementation of the Justice Department’s guidance and collaborate with policymakers, educators, and community leaders to ensure that the American education system rewards effort, talent, and achievement, rather than identity politics.