Law School Scholarships Disproportionately Go to White Students, New Data Shows
White law students receive a disproportionate number of full scholarships compared to their non-white peers, a new study finds.
Data released by the American Bar Association shows that White students were awarded 70% of the full-tuition scholarships given by law schools this year, but comprise about 61% of the national pool of full-time law students. Students of color, who make up nearly 32% of full-time law students, received fewer than 23% of full-tuition scholarships. This year marks the first time the ABA has collected and reported scholarship data by race, highlighting long-existing disparities.\
“The data should prompt law schools to assess their scholarship awarding practices to ensure that they are defensible and rooted in equity,” says Aaron Taylor, executive director of the AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence, which advocates for affordability and access to law school.
DISPARITY IN SCHOLARSHIP DISTRIBUTION
Hispanic law students, who make up nearly 13% of the national student pool, received only 9% of full-tuition scholarships. Similarly, Black students, comprising more than 7% of all law students, were awarded just 5.5% of full scholarships, according to the study.
According to Taylor, law schools’ reliance on LSAT scores has been the primary driver of scholarship disparities, with average scores being significantly lower for Black LSAT takers compared to white and Asian test-takers.
Critics of the LSAT argue that the exam creates even more barriers in a profession that already lacks diversity.
“Not only does relevant research reveal that the LSAT has larger racial disparities than other available admissions factors, but 1,800 undergraduate colleges have now had a positive two-year experience with test-optional (and test-free) admissions,” says Jay Rosner, executive director of the Princeton Review Foundation, a nonprofit organization not affiliated with the Princeton Review. “Only a handful have reverted back to requiring the SAT or ACT.”
ASIAN STUDENTS ALSO LESS LIKELY TO RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS
Despite having comparable median LSAT scores, Asian law students are also significantly less likely to receive full-tuition scholarships compared to white students. According to the ABA data, Asians are 7% of law students this year but received about 3% of full-tuition scholarships.
“The typical White student was more than twice as likely to receive a full scholarship than the typical Asian student,” Taylor says.
Sources: Reuters, Los Angeles Times
