Lawmakers introduce legislation to close admissions loopholes

State lawmakers introduced a six-bill package they hope will close college admissions loopholes exploited in the recent cheating and bribery scandal. The legislation proposes to tighten requirements for athlete recruit admissions, ban legacy preferences and force admissions consultants to register with the state.

“We’ve all watched in complete disgust. ... It stings even more because so much of this was based in California,” Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, said in a Thursday news conference. “For every student admitted through bribery, there was an honest and talented student that was denied an opportunity to go to college.”

The measures are in response to a federal investigation into a cheating and bribery scam run by Newport Beach college consultant Rick Singer, resulting in 50 parents, consultants and university coaches facing criminal charges.

AB 697, introduced by Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, proposes to prohibit colleges in the Cal Grant program from offering legacy preferential admissions. The state financial aid grants subsidize tuition or living expenses for California residents based on need or merit.

Should the bill pass, the Education Code governing Cal Grants would be amended to add, “The institution shall not give preferential treatment in admission to an applicant with a relationship to a donor or alumni of the institution.”

McCarty also introduced legislation that would require special admissions, including athletic recruits, to be approved by at least three administrative staff, including the university president.

“If a UC water polo special admit is admitted, we should ensure that one, they know how to swim, and number two, they actually play water polo,” McCarty said at the news conference.

The remaining bills would review the efficacy of using the SAT and ACT exams in admissions, require private admissions consultants to register with the Secretary of State’s Office, deny tax deductions for related donations made by defendants in the scandal and audit the UC admissions process. Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Silicon Valley, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Orange County, and Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath, D-Encinitas, also backed the legislation.

In a statement, the University of California said it already forbids legacy admissions and admits 2 percent of students through “admission by exception,” which includes athletic and artistic recruits as well as disadvantaged students. The university is also assessing the value of using standardized tests. The university stopped short of endorsing the legislation but said it looks forward to working with legislators.

“We are making every effort to take a critical, hard look at our own practices,” the statement read.

USC and Stanford University both said in statements they are reviewing the proposed legislation. Cal State University, which was not implicated in the admissions scandal, said it does not allow for legacy preferential admission but does allow special admits for student athletes and disadvantaged applicants.

“We fully agree with our state lawmakers that fairness is critical to the admissions process, but as with any potential legislation we would have to fully evaluate impacts on the university before taking a position,” the Cal State statement said.

The lawmakers expect their proposals to be heard in committee after spring recess at the end of April.