Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court held that universities across the country can no longer consider race when making admissions decisions, marking a fundamental change in the law that governs our admissions process, and that of thousands of other universities.
We will follow the Supreme Court’s decision in all respects. That means race will not be a factor in admissions decisions at the University. It also means we will comply with the Court’s ruling that an applicant’s lived racial experience cannot be credited as “race for race’s sake,” but instead under some circumstances may illuminate an individual’s character and contributions.
As we make these changes, we also will expand opportunity in continued service to the people of our state.
First, Carolina will provide free tuition and required fees for incoming undergraduates from North Carolina whose families make less than $80,000 per year. Beginning with the incoming class in 2024, we will expand the University’s long-standing commitment to access and affordability for North Carolina families. This promise broadens that tradition established by successful and inspiring programs such as the Carolina Covenant and Blue Sky Scholars, among others. We want to make sure students know financial constraints should not stand in the way of their dreams. We will be sharing details about this exciting new opportunity within the next few weeks.