Think of Us: Enhancing College Opportunities for Multiply Marginalized Student Populations
Blog Post
Oct. 10, 2023
Last month, the Department of Education (ED) released a new report providing substantive guidance to selective colleges and universities committed to serving low-income students and students of color. This guidance arrives at a critical juncture in higher education, after the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions policies in the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) cases against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
“There is a lot at stake,” ED wrote. “Selective institutions can provide long-term benefits for graduates, including often creating the leaders of tomorrow, but these institutions disproportionately enroll students from high-income backgrounds, lessening the likelihood that these leaders can look like all of America, even though these underrepresented students can have the same academic qualifications as their wealthier peers.”
Although the SFFA decision eliminates the option for colleges and universities to consider an applicant’s race as a standalone factor in the admission process, legally permissible methods are still available to promote racial and economic diversity within U.S. higher education institutions. For example, college leaders at top-ranked institutions must redirect attention to other historically underrepresented and excluded student populations. College leaders at top-ranked institutions must ensure that those with multiple marginalized identities are not overlooked or left behind.
Promising Student Recruitment and Outreach Initiatives
The Education Department (ED) urges college leaders to use a holistic admissions process emphasizing “student adversity, resiliency, and inspiration.” Considerations suggested by ED include the social class of a student or their family, personal experience with hardship or discrimination, and socioeconomic background of their high school and neighborhood. These avenues ensure that our colleges and universities continue to serve as engines of opportunity for all, fostering a brighter and more inclusive future for our nation.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)––a top-ranked public research university––provides a case study of how highly selective institutions can successfully transform student recruitment and outreach efforts to boost enrollment among Black and Latino students.
In a recent podcast interview, Youlanda Copeland-Morgan, former vice provost for enrollment management at UCLA, emphasized the importance of forming strategic partnerships between top-ranked colleges and K-12 school districts, especially those disproportionately serving students from historically underserved communities. “In the neighborhoods [and] schools where we were trying to recruit students from underrepresented backgrounds, [it was essential] to recognize that teachers and school leaders were doing the best they could with the resources to prepare our students,” Copeland-Morgan explained.
Rather than ignoring the systemic issues confronting local Title 1 schools, Copeland-Morgan and her team took crucial steps to address the challenges related to staff capacity and information gaps about college opportunities, such as demystifying what admissions officers look for in a rigorous high school curriculum. “They could do a better job if we partnered with them and helped them understand exactly what we were looking for in our future Bruins,” she said.
Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, early indicators point to the effectiveness and success of UCLA’s targeted student recruitment and outreach efforts. Aside from reaching a record number of first-year student applications, the Los Angeles campus also admitted one of its most “academically accomplished” classes in history, as measured by GPA and completed honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and the UC–required A-G courses. Students from historically underrepresented backgrounds accounted for 34 percent of all admitted in-state first-year students—the highest proportion at UCLA in over 30 years.
Although California is one of eight states that prohibited from considering race in the holistic review process before the Supreme Court decision, it is noteworthy that the campus saw a remarkable 21 percent increase in enrollments among Black undergraduates during the 2020-21 admissions cycle. This achievement underscores the tremendous impact of proactive outreach and student recruitment efforts, especially when it is driven by a top-ranked college deeply committed to creating a campus that mirrors the state’s evolving diversity.
However, college leaders at top-ranked colleges must go further in leveling the playing field for other historically marginalized communities, such as students with lived experience in the foster care system.
In 2021, California had the largest foster care demographic in the country, with over 47,000 individuals entering the system. Consistent with demographic trends in other states, California’s Black, Latino and Indigenous children remain disproportionately overrepresented in the foster care system. They tend to come from low-income families and have personal experience overcoming hardship or discrimination. Beyond the trauma of being separated from their immediate families, these children often endure more significant educational disruptions than their peers, putting them at an unfair and substantial disadvantage when navigating pathways to college and degree completion.
Revamping Outreach and Student Recruitment Strategies
College leaders at UCLA and other top-ranked institutions can broaden their outreach and student recruitment to include foster youth, a community of potential young scholars often overlooked and forgotten. Beyond high school GPA, class rank, and extracurricular engagements, college admissions officers should avoid taking shortcuts and implement a holistic review process that takes into account the substantial hardships and disadvantages these resilient students face.
In a positive development, in June, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a state budget that guarantees youth aging out of foster care access to a tuition-free college education at any in-state public institution, including the University of California campuses. This initiative represents a giant step toward creating equitable opportunities for students who have historically faced barriers to higher education. Higher education leaders elsewhere can consider how they allocate resources and urge their state legislatures to adopt similar need-based aid reforms to redress longstanding cost barriers to higher education.
Inclusivity and diversity must remain at the forefront of our efforts to improve higher education and ensure the numerous benefits conferred by a degree or credential remain equitable. The ED’s guidance offers a blueprint for creating campuses that genuinely reflect the rich tapestry of our nation. Let us not forget those who have faced immense hurdles in their lives, for they may possess the strength and resilience to become the leaders of tomorrow.