As a Cal graduate, I know a college education can help open doors to good-paying careers and social mobility. That's why I was disappointed in last summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling stating that race cannot be a factor in the college admission process. It's a blow to affirmative action, a decades-old policy that has improved access to higher education for communities of color and diversified student bodies.

However, a different type of affirmative action remains intact. Many elite schools give preferential treatment to applicants, namely to those from wealthy families or who have ties to alumni. Of course, that can come at the expense of an often more qualified student.

Enough. This legislative session, I introduced AB 1780, banning private colleges in California from receiving Cal-Grants if they practice legacy admissions. (State institutions already don't.) Cal-Grant was created to promote educational equity and access. Our state-funded financial aid program should not go to schools that do not provide all Californians a fair opportunity for admission.

It's fundamentally wrong. There should be fairness and equity in the college admission process. I want my kids to have a fair shot at the college of their choice, as do all parents. I hope my bill will help convince schools to abandon favoritism for the greater good of equal college opportunity for all.

PHIL TING
Assemblymember, 19th District