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March 14, 2006

Minority scholarships opening up to white students

This article in today's New York Times seems to indicate that the long-running debate concerning race in higher education isn't going away. Three years ago, two decisions by the Supreme Court concerning affirmative action at the University of Michigan seemed to preserve affirmative action at colleges while not completely protecting it from future challenges.

The most recent news concerns changes in minority scholarship programs at schools throughout the country. Fearing litigation, some colleges have opened the scholarships up to white students.

While no Virginia colleges have announced any changes to their scholarship programs, Virginia Tech was near the center of the affirmative-action controversy in 2003. 

The Roanoke Times covered the Tech's decision to end affirmative action at the school, a decision it quickly reversed. I wrote a story last month that indicated more students at Tech and colleges throughout Virginia were choosing to withold information about their race for fear that it would hurt them in the application process.

It's only logical that white students would want to have more scholarship opportunities and wouldn't want to reveal their race if they thought it would hurt their chances at being admitted somewhere. But the scholarship-eligibility changes could make it tougher for colleges that are looking to increase diversity. 

Advocates for maintaining diversity at colleges without focusing on race support plans such as Gov. Jeb Bush's "One Florida" initiative. 

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Mug of Greg Esposito

Rhode Island native and Virginia Tech reporter Greg Esposito posts on everyday college life, trends and issues affecting the 35,000-plus students in the New River Valley and beyond.

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Mug of Tim Thornton

Tim Thornton, who is old enough to have children attending college, is still taking classes and is still fascinated by colleges, the students who populate them and the bureaucrats who operate them. His reporting beat is Radford University.

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Mug of Anna Mallory

West Virginia native Anna Mallory blogs on student life topics at Virginia Tech, Radford University, New River Valley Community College -- and beyond.

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