Virginia bans legacy admissions at public universities
- Children of alumni no longer get preference
- Unanimous approval by Virginia lawmakers
- Colorado was 1st; other states considering legacy ban
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – AUGUST 19: Students return to the University of Virginia for the fall semester on August 19, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — Family and money ties will no longer be factors when applying for admission to public universities in Virginia.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed a bill banning legacy admissions after the measure won unanimous approval in the state House of Delegates and Senate.
Youngkin said in a statement in January that he believed “admission to Virginia’s universities and colleges should be based on merit.”
Potential students who are the children of alumni and donors will lose their preferential treatment when the bill takes effect July 1.
Virginia State Sen. Schuyler T. VanValkenburg, who sponsored the bill, says he was surprised by the unanimous support, telling The New York Times the policy was indefensible.
“There’s a lot of ways you can measure merit, but we know that legacy admissions is really not about merit at all.”
Colorado was the first state to ban legacy preferences in 2021. Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York are considering similar bills.