The College Board recently revised the criteria for its National Recognition Program awards, impacting scholarship allocations for Black and Latino students in favor of white students. Historically, colleges have used these awards to attract high-achieving students from underrepresented groups in higher education. The award previously acknowledged academic excellence in five categories: Black, Hispanic, Native American, first-generation, and students from rural or small towns.
The racial categories have been removed.
Currently, students in small towns or rural areas can qualify for the award by scoring in the top 10 percent among their peers on the PSAT in their state. The same criterion applies to first-generation students but excludes students from underrepresented racial backgrounds.
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The decision has drawn criticism. “They believed racial inequality was something important to address yesterday, and by changing that, they’re implying that it’s not something important to fight for now,” stated Rachel Perera from the Brookings Institution. The College Board cited a 2023 Supreme Court ruling against race use in admissions, although the awards were for scholarships, not admissions.
“Recent legal and regulatory actions have further limited the utility of these awards for students and colleges,” the statement reads. President Donald Trump had also expressed disapproval of race-conscious policies, and some states have banned race consideration in scholarships.
In 2023-24, the College Board issued 115,000 awards, with less than half in racial categories. Previously, over 80,000 awards were mainly for Black, Hispanic, and Native American students. Universities rely on these awards for scholarship selection, although the College Board itself does not distribute funds.
The program began in 1983 to honor high-performing Hispanic students. Other racial and demographic categories were added in 2020, and first-generation students became eligible last year. All students must maintain at least a B+ average.
Related: Cutting race-based scholarships blocks path to college, students say
While students of any race can now qualify, the elimination of racial categories might disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic students. On average, Asian and white students score higher on PSATs. Last year, white students’ average score was 994 compared to 821 for Black students, a 173-point gap. Asian students averaged 1108, while Hispanic and Native American students scored 852 and 828, respectively.
“It’s a move towards race-blind categories when we know that education and access to education isn’t race-blind,” said Wil Del Pilar from EdTrust.
Some conservatives have welcomed the change, arguing that race-conscious programs circumvent Supreme Court rulings and constitute reverse discrimination. Jonathan Butcher from the Heritage Foundation stated, “If you are using racial preferences, you are setting students up for a loss of confidence when they struggle in a situation they’re not prepared for.”
A new category now recognizes students scoring in the top 10 percent of their high school on the PSAT. Experts doubt colleges will offer scholarships to all such students due to costs. The University of New Mexico plans to stop using College Board designations by 2026-27.
“We’re currently analyzing our scholarship strategy, but changes will be made across the board,” said Steve Carr from the University of New Mexico.
In 2023-24, the university awarded $15,000 scholarships to 149 students in racial categories. The University of Arizona also provided scholarships to students in these categories last year.
“The university was already evaluating its scholarship strategy and will consider the College Board’s announcement as we determine how best to move forward,” said Mitch Zak from the University of Arizona.
Students can also qualify for awards by scoring 3 or higher on two AP exams in ninth or 10th grade, although not all schools offer AP courses to freshmen and sophomores.
“We can’t really have a conversation around merit if we’re not all at the same starting point in terms of what we receive from our K-12 education,” said Del Pilar, “and how we’re able to navigate the test prep environment, or the lack of test prep that certain communities receive.”
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