University At Center Of Race-Based Admissions Case To Hand Out Free Tuition To Certain Students
Katelynn Richardson on July 8, 2023
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) will offer free tuition to certain undergraduates following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down its use of race in the admissions process, the university announced Friday.
While the university intends to “follow the Supreme Court’s decision in all respects” and will no longer use race as a factor in the admission process, it also plans to “expand opportunity” and access to the people in its state as it makes changes in response to the ruling, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz announced in a Friday message to the community. Starting with the class of 2024, UNC-Chapel Hill will cover the cost of tuition and required fees for in-state undergraduates whose families make under $80,000 per year, Guskiewicz said.
“Our responsibility to comply with the law does not mean we will abandon our fundamental values as a university,” Guskiewicz said. “We are and will remain passionately public, and we will ensure that every student who earns admission to Carolina can come here and thrive.”
“Our University’s commitment to access and affordability and supporting a culture of belonging for everyone does not change with last week’s ruling,” he continued.
Our commitment to access and affordability continues at Carolina. We will provide free tuition and required fees for incoming undergraduates from North Carolina whose families make less than $80,000 per year beginning with the incoming class in 2024. https://t.co/KVK8AYVqne
— Kevin Guskiewicz (@KevinGuskiewicz) July 7, 2023
Guskiewicz also announced that UNC-Chapel Hill’s admissions team has hired additional outreach officers to recruit students living in “under-resourced communities.”
The Supreme Court ruled against UNC-Chapel Hill and Harvard’s race-based admissions programs on June 29, finding the programs violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
In an email following the decision’s release, Harvard highlighted a portion of the majority opinion that stated colleges may still consider “an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life.” Some legal experts suggested student essays would become a new route to incorporate race into the admissions process.
UNC-Chapel Hill did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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