There might be a better way for colleges to honor legacies without giving them preference in admissions

• Colleges' practices of favoring graduates' children in admissions are under scrutiny.
• Some schools ditched the practice after a Supreme Court ruling last summer.

College legacies might continue to see opportunities in some ways — but they'll have to get into their parent's alma mater largely on their own merits.

Over the past year, the way colleges choose to admit students has fallen under intense scrutiny. The Supreme Court's decision in June to ban the use of affirmative action in college admissions placed pressure on many prestigious schools, like Harvard, to answer critics' concerns that favoring legacy students is unfair — and a practice that needs to end.

While some top schools have responded to the high court's decision by ditching the practice altogether, many state schools use what could be an alternative to the controversial practice: legacy scholarships and awards.

A report from the think tank Brookings earlier this month found that most state flagship schools — the most selective public schools in a state — don't factor in legacy in their admissions processes, but half of them do offer at least one scholarship specifically for legacy students.

Using 2021-2022 admissions data from the Common Data Set — a College Board Initiative — the report found that selective and private colleges were most likely to use legacy preference in their admissions. When it came to public flagship schools, more than one in 10 consider legacy status, and half of all flagships have at least one legacy scholarship opportunity. Those scholarships could range from $500 to over $10,000 a year.

Although the tangible impact of these scholarships might be small, their implications could be larger for those seeking to attend a public school.

"Many of the colleges that use legacy admissions are not that selective, and the scholarships for relatives of alumni are typically small," the report said. "Still, even if the number of students directly displaced by legacies who had a leg up is ultimately not that large, the practice sends students the wrong signal about what's important and is contrary to the mission of a public university."

"Perceptions of an unfair admissions process might also make some students less likely to apply or undermine the perceived legitimacy of higher education," it added.

However, James Murphy, deputy director of higher education policy at nonprofit Education Reform Now, told Business Insider that he doesn't think these scholarships are "as harmful a practice as the actual legacy preference of getting in."

The main difference is that legacy admissions give a leg up to an applicant who may or may not have gotten into the school on their own merit, whereas a legacy scholarship awards additional aid to someone who's already been accepted.

Murphy likened scholarships to "a coupon or discount. It's to get you into the store and buy something."

"So a college looks at students who are legacies and says, 'Okay, you probably have a better chance of enrolling here than other students as your parents went here,'" he continued. "'There's a family connection, and then there's a good chance because your parents have a bachelor's degree they're probably in a wealthier income bracket. So that's good. And so we're gonna throw you $1,000 off.'"

The Brookings report suggested that if schools choose to consider using legacy status for scholarships and in the admissions process, they should be upfront with prospective students about what that means. For example, the report said that some schools' messaging might be confusing if their website says they do not consider legacy but they later ask a student to list which family members attended the school on the application.

Legacy scholarships at public schools come in a wide range of amounts. The University of Nebraska, for example, offers $14,000 a year for legacy students from out-of-state. Leslie Reed, the university's public affairs director, told Business Insider that "the scholarship is awarded to extraordinary out-of-state students with a parent alumnus who have demonstrated academic accomplishment to offset the cost of out-of-state tuition." Five incoming first-year students received that scholarship for this academic year, she said.

Another example is Drake University, which offers a $2,500 per year award to legacy students. A university spokesperson told BI that the awards "foster and maintain a relationship with our alumni by encouraging their family members to continue the tradition of attending Drake," noting that it's "one of hundreds of gift aid opportunities available to our students."

Business Insider has previously reported on the precedent continued legacy preference is setting for the future of higher education. The practice started in the 1920s as an effort to restrict the number of Jewish students admitted to a school. While some colleges who continue to give preference to legacy students say the practice helps foster strong connections with alumni, research has shown that among Ivy League schools, legacy practices give the wealthiest students a boost.

Murphy said he's most worried about legacy preference in admissions, and while legacy scholarships might not send the best message, "if every college in the country drops legacy preferences and hold on to legacy scholarships, I'm fine with that."