How to Defend Identity-Based Scholarships: A Call to Action
We at Students First Consulting feel very strongly about identity-based scholarships. These include race-based scholarships, gender-based scholarships, first-generation scholarships, LGBTQ+ scholarships, disability scholarships, and more.
While they’re under threat due to recent legal challenges and changes in the regulatory landscape, we see them as absolutely vital to opening doors to historically excluded student populations. Many groups have had no or limited access to higher education, career, and social and economic mobility opportunities. Some of them, such as Dreamers, still face explicit barriers. Identity-based scholarships offer lifelines that allow those students to pursue their goals and dreams, making them essential to working toward a more equitable society for us all.
The Current Legal Landscape
Rulings such as the Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and state anti-DEI bills have restricted the use of race, ethnicity, and other protected characteristics in certain higher education policies and practices. Today, there are implications for some entities that provide scholarships, while others aren’t directly affected.
Key Points for Scholarship Providers
First and foremost, if your organization has questions about providing identity-based scholarships, get expert advice to understand the specific legal requirements and restrictions in your state.
Organizations that don’t receive government funds generally have much greater flexibility in what they can offer and to whom.
Organizations that receive government funds are more restricted, and sometimes fully unable to offer identity-based scholarships.
Keep up-to-date with changes in legislation and court rulings that could affect scholarship programs. Stay in contact with your organization’s legal counsel, plug into networks like ours and the National Scholarship Providers Association, and set alerts for related topics.
Taking Action to Support Identity-Based Scholarships
Anyone can take action to support and protect identity-based scholarships. If your organization can offer them, great. If not, there are still things that you can do to support these student populations.
Leverage your organization’s platform to raise awareness about the significance of identity-based scholarships and the systemic inequities they help address. These scholarships are essential in promoting equity and closing the educational opportunity gap.
If possible, continue offering your existing identity-based scholarships. Every scholarship you provide helps dismantle barriers for marginalized students and supports their goals. This is especially important because many existing opportunities specifically tailored to support them are being changed or going away due to Federal and state legislation.
Take it a step further by actively creating more identity-based scholarships. Increasing these opportunities can lead to more inclusive representation in education and greater long-term societal impact.
Reallocate resources to expand your current identity-based scholarship offerings, allowing you to provide more funding to a larger number of students. This will amplify your organization’s impact and help address the growing financial needs of students for whom opportunities are shrinking.
Identify donors who are passionate about social justice and equity to build a stronger portfolio of identity-based opportunities. Donors who align with your mission can help sustain and grow scholarships that make a real difference in students' lives.
Reach out to colleges, universities, other philanthropic organizations, and their donors that must or decide to alter their identity-based scholarships. Offer to rehome those opportunities. This ensures that funds continue to support students in need, even if institutions face legal challenges.
If you're an institution, collaborate with your local philanthropic or nonprofit organization that can legally provide identity-based scholarships. Partnering can keep these vital scholarships available, despite legislative hurdles.
Advocate for change by contacting elected officials and urging them to oppose discriminatory legislation. Your voice can help protect the future of these scholarships and the students who rely on them.
Support the cause by donating to legal funds working to protect these scholarships. Legal funds play a crucial role in challenging and overturning unjust laws that threaten educational equity.
Defending identity-based scholarships isn’t just about protecting funding; it’s about safeguarding the future of education for students who’ve been intentionally excluded from opportunities. As legal challenges continue to rise, it’s vital that we all play a part in ensuring that these scholarships remain available. Whether through advocacy, donor engagement, or expanding scholarship opportunities, every action helps keep the door to higher education open for students who need and deserve it.
