WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – The Supreme Court ruled in favor of students challenging admission policies that take race into consideration.
The 6-3 decision upends the policies many universities and colleges have used for decades to decide who to let in and who to deny admission into the schools. This is the largest reversal for the high court since it overturned Roe v. Wade last summer
The justices decided on two similar cases — one against Harvard University and the other against University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Both cases were brought by the conservative-leaning Students for Fair Admission. The group argued that those schools’ policies discriminated against white and Asian American students.
The ruling means that any school using race as an admission factor will have to stop immediately. Many will turn to other race-neutral ways to boost diversity in higher education. It will be up to schools to create and implement those policies.
9 states ban colleges from using race in admissions. Educators say the number of Black and Latino students enrolled in universities dropped and never recovered.
Lawyers for the student groups agreed that diversity is necessary, but believe schools can come up with a better way to create it.
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