As Elite Colleges Lose Black Students, HBCUs See Enrollment Surge

July 21, 2026

Following the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling that ended race-conscious college admissions, scholarships specifically designated for Black and underrepresented students are rapidly disappearing across the United States. The percentage of scholarships with race, ethnicity, or gender requirements has dropped over 25 percent as organizations shift to race-neutral criteria like income or ZIP code to avoid legal challenges. While supporters argue these changes promote equal treatment, critics warn they eliminate crucial tools for addressing historical educational inequities that stem from segregation, discriminatory policies, and persistent wealth gaps.

Who is affected

Black students seeking higher education
Other historically underrepresented students
Colleges, foundations, and private scholarship donors
Scholarship providers and administrators
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Hampton University, North Carolina A&T State University, Bethune-Cookman University, Fayetteville State University, and Edward Waters University
Predominantly white selective institutions
The estate of Ezra Totton (late Black chemistry professor in Iowa)
Wisconsin taxpayers and minority scholarship program recipients

What action is being taken

Scholarship providers are restructuring or eliminating race-based eligibility requirements
Organizations are shifting to race-neutral criteria such as household income, first-generation college status, or ZIP code
The Trump administration is taking actions related to diversity initiatives
Legal challenges and lawsuits are being filed against race-based scholarships
A university in Iowa is seeking to modify the Ezra Totton scholarship's eligibility requirements
Wisconsin lawmakers are exploring replacing a struck-down minority scholarship program with an income-based alternative
Black students are enrolling at HBCUs and other four-year institutions instead of selective predominantly white schools
HBCUs are experiencing record applications and enrollment gains

Why it matters

This matters because it represents the dismantling of financial aid tools specifically designed to address centuries of systemic educational inequality faced by Black Americans, including segregation, discriminatory admissions, unequal school funding, and laws barring Black students from colleges. The changes could make college less affordable for Black students who continue to face significantly lower median household wealth than white families, potentially limiting access to higher education despite their continued commitment to pursuing degrees. The shift also reflects broader challenges to diversity initiatives and demonstrates how legal rulings can have cascading effects beyond their original scope, extending from admissions policies to private scholarship programs.

What's next

Wisconsin lawmakers are exploring creating a replacement scholarship program based on income rather than race
The court dispute over the Ezra Totton scholarship in Iowa remains ongoing

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint