Colleges will have to prove they don't consider race in admissions under new Trump memo

A new policy under President Donald Trump mandates that colleges present data to prove that they don't consider race during admissions.

Trump has accused universities of using personal statements to consider race in college admissions.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that affirmative action can't be used in admissions. If students share how race impacted them in an admissions essay, colleges could consider that. 

“The persistent lack of available data — paired with the rampant use of ‘diversity statements’ and other overt and hidden racial proxies — continues to raise concerns about whether race is actually used in admissions decisions in practice,” reads he memorandum signed by Trump on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.

Conservatives argue that the Supreme Court still considers race through loopholes such as personal statements.

The memo allows Education Secretary Linda McMahon to mandate universities report more data “to provide adequate transparency into admissions.”

As of now, it isn't clear what effect this will have on universities.