California Bans Private Colleges from Giving Admissions Preferences to Students with Family Connections

“The California Dream shouldn’t be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we’re opening the door,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom

A new law has been signed in California that bans private, nonprofit colleges and universities from giving special preference to students with "personal connections."

legacy and donor preferences during the admissions process at private nonprofit colleges and universities.

In a press release published Monday, Sept. 30, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced AB 1780 had officially been signed into law. The bill, written by Assemblymember Phil Ting, a Democrat representing San Francisco, was proposed after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 restricting the use of race in college admissions.

Proponents of the new law said the goal is “ensure that factors like wealth or personal relationships do not unduly influence admissions decisions,” according to Newsom’s office.

The new law means that students who have parents that previously attended a specific private, nonprofit school will not have an advantage in the admissions process over students with no parental connection to the institution.

Schools that will be impacted by the change include the University of Southern California, Stanford University and more.

In a statement, Newsom said those who attend these schools “should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work.”

“The California Dream shouldn’t be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we’re opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly,” Newsom added.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Ting thanked the governor for supporting his bill, saying in a statement, “If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field. That means making the college application process more fair and equitable.”

He added, “Hard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class – not the size of the check your family can write or who you’re related to. I thank the Governor for agreeing with me and supporters of AB 1780 – that every student deserves a fair shot at their dream school.”

California is now the second state to prohibit legacy and donor preferences at private institutions, according to The Los Angeles Times. Maryland become the first earlier this year.

Maryland and three other states — Colorado, Illinois and Virginia — have banned the practice at postsecondary institutions

Many public colleges and universities in California, including the University of California and California State University, banned legacy admissions decades ago, according to the L.A. and New York Times.

Related: Felicity Huffman Breaks Silence on College Admissions Scandal: ‘I Felt Like I Had to Give My Daughter a Future’

Schools that violate California’s new admissions law, which goes into effect on Sept. 1, 2025, will be required to publicly release details about those who have benefited from legacy and donor admissions, though individuals students will not be identified.

In a statement to The Los Angeles Times, USC said they will comply with the law, while in a separate statement a spokesperson said Stanford "will be continuing to review its admission policies" until the law goes into effect. (Neither USC nor Stanford immediately responded to PEOPLE's request for comment.)

For the past five years, six private universities in California have been reporting legacy admission preferences for the classes being enrolled at their institutions under state law, according to the L.A. Times.

The 2019 law, which Ting authored, was penned following the Varsity Blues scandal, in which parents of students participated in a pay-to-play system in hopes of getting their children admitted to some of the country’s most elite schools.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.