Policy Brief Alert | Proposition 209
State funding for public universities has not kept pace with the growing young adult population seeking a spot in college, and this has created a more competitive college admissions process. It is harder to get into college today than it has ever been for previous generations. As you’ve read in our latest reports on the state of Latino and Black students in higher education, racial inequities have persisted over time and continue to grow. While there are many factors that have a role in this disheartening trend, our latest policy brief examines the effects of Proposition 209, the voter approved ban on the use of race in college admissions. Proposition 209 has created barriers to college access for California students and has had the biggest impact on Black and Latino students applying to the University of California’s (UC) most selective campuses.