College donors feel “betrayed” scholarships can no longer be based on race

Donors at the University of Missouri expressed dismay that they can no longer prevent white students from applying for minority-related scholarships, according to an article published Thursday in Inside Higher Ed.

The Supreme Court of the United States downcast affirmative action for college admissions and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sent a letter following the June 2023 decision to all Missouri state, public and private universities, telling them they must comply with the court's decision. Through Bailey's letter, the university system's four campuses were forced to review all racially-based grants, creating hostility among donors.

“Missouri institutions must immediately implement the Supreme Court's decisions. In today's rulings, the Court held that there are no legitimate trust interests created by prior rulings that appeared to bless affirmative action.” seconds in Bailey's letter.

Donors at several endowments expressed concern both on and off the record, saying they feel “betrayed” by the change, according to Inside Higher Ed.

Melinda Holmes helped endow a scholarship in honor of her father, Richard Holmes, and when she received notice that the scholarships needed revision, she was “pissed off.” seconds in Inside Higher Ed. The scholarship was to “advance the education of medical students, particularly African-American students and those seeking to care for the underserved.”

Several of the grants lacked legal clauses, forcing the university to reach out and ask the donors themselves for permission, while 53 donors could not be contacted or “did not agree” to the changes .

Doug Whitea philanthropy scholar and adviser said: “This has to be fought, not for political reasons, but from a donor protection perspective…Once politics gets involved in how the funds are used charities, we're really going down the wrong path,” he says. Inside Ed. superior

Financial aid awarded $12.3 million with a “race and ethnicity” component for 2022-2023. Racially based scholarships accounted for 2.3% of all financial aid for the school's main Columbia campus and 6.7% for the St. Louis, university spokesman and director of public affairs Christian Basi. he said the Missouri Independent.

The University of Florida is eliminating all DEI positions https://t.co/TForvmI2pF

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 2, 2024

The Kansas City (UMKC) location of the University of Missouri offers scholarships to minority students, with some barring white students from applying, seconds at College Fix. The Frank Neal Willis Jr. Minority Scholarship awarded to “undergraduate, minority students with a 3.0 GPA who also demonstrate financial need.” The Leo Long Scholarship / Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is for “Undergraduate degree-seeking minority students in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences who are residents of Missouri and demonstrate financial need.”

While the Supreme Court changed the trajectory for affirmative action, other universities and medical schools they have all over the country it continued diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) standards for both its admissions and graduation processes

“Therefore, there is no justification for Missouri institutions to 'warn' existing programs that disadvantage applicants based on race. All Missouri programs that make admissions decisions by disadvantaging individuals based on race, do not not only college admissions, but also scholarships, employment, law reviews, etc., must immediately adopt race-blind standards.” said Bailey.

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