In an interview with the Hechinger Report, Elijah Brown, a graduate of the University of Missouri (Mizzou), reflects on how the now-defunct George C. Brooks scholarship transformed his life.
The scholarship, which covered 70% of his tuition, was created to support students from underrepresented groups. Despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision banning affirmative action — which led many universities, including Mizzou, to eliminate race-conscious scholarships — Brown credits the financial aid with enabling him to focus on his studies, graduate summa cum laude, and pursue a legal career.
Brown’s personal experience highlights the broader concern that eliminating these scholarships could deepen racial and financial inequalities. This and related scholarships have helped many students from marginalized groups attend otherwise unavailable institutions without accumulating massive debt. Brown’s story exemplifies the personal and social impact of race-based scholarships and the potential consequences of their removal.
Since the affirmative action ban, 13 flagship universities have removed race-conscious scholarships. Others, like Pennsylvania State University, have retained them, interpreting the Supreme Court ruling as applying only to admissions. States like Florida have enacted laws banning public colleges from funding DEI initiatives, impacting scholarships.
Experts warn that eliminating these scholarships may further discourage underrepresented students from higher education, increasing existing disparities, and view the elimination of race-conscious scholarships as part of a broader movement against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives.
“Many institutions and states are now using it as an excuse to walk away from focused scholarships and from focused programs,” said Wil Del Pilar, senior vice president of the Education Trust, in an interview with The Chronicle.
In the same interview, Del Pilar warned that the loss of such programs could exacerbate racial disparities in education, especially in states like Ohio, where Black students are already less likely to hold higher degrees. He also expressed concerns about repeating California’s 1998 affirmative action ban effects, where the enrollment of Black and Latino/a students fell by 40%.
