NATIONAL NEWS
June 24, 2003
A Question of Race and Fairness
The Supreme Court rules that race can be considered when reviewing applications
 A student and a former student celebrate the decision. |
Should a person's race help determine whether he or she can attend a college or university? The Supreme Court says yes. On Monday, the top court in the nation ruled that it is okay for colleges and universities to give applicants an edge because they are minorities. But they can't admit those applicants just because of their race, the ruling said.
What's the Issue?
A group of white students who were not admitted to the University of Michigan brought the case to court. They said they were being discriminated against because they are white.
 |  Jennifer Gratz is one of the applicants that brought the case to court after she was denied admission to the school. |
Rules that give minorities increased opportunities by favoring them in school admissions or jobs are called affirmative action programs. Their purpose is to make up for past discrimination, when unfair laws prevented minorities from attending universities or getting good jobs.
The University of Michigan relied on affirmative action to increase the number of students who are minorities in its student body. The University says that race is only one of many factors considered when admitting new students. Officials also say that only qualified students are admitted.
Two Big Decisions
At the University of Michigan Law School, admissions officers give some preference to applicants who are minorities. But nobody gets in just because he or she is a minority. Because race is not a deciding factor and only a plus, the court ruled this practice is legal.
At the University of Michigan's college program, admissions officers use a point system to decide who gets in. In this case, the court ruled that giving points for being a certain race is not legal because it might actually decide if that person gets in.
University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman celebrated the overall decision of the court. "This is a huge win for higher education," she said.
The Other Side
Opponents of the decision say affirmative action discriminates against people who are not minorities. President Bush holds this view. When the lawsuit first went to the Supreme Court, Bush said: "The motivation for such an admissions policy may be very good, but its result is discrimination."
