Wisconsin Assembly to Pass Republican Bill Banning Race, Diversity Factors in Financial Aid for UW

The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly was scheduled to pass a bill Tuesday that would ban Universities of Wisconsin officials from considering race and diversity when awarding state-funded financial aid.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is expected to veto the measure. {snip}

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The proposal barring the consideration of race and diversity when awarding financial aid comes months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that universities cannot consider race in the admissions process. That decision did not reference or apply to financial aid, but some lawmakers have still used it to justify scaling back race-based financial aid.

Republicans in at least a dozen states have introduced legislation this year targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education. In Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers slashed the university system’s budget by $32 million in June and have withheld pay raises for UW employees until school officials agree to cut spending on so-called DEI efforts by that amount.

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