The Ripple Effect: Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision reshapes Latino students’ higher education journeys

Latino students continue to face an uncertain future after the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions. Coupled with the attacks on anything perceived to be remotely related to diversity, equity and inclusion, support for Latino students is steadily vanishing. 

On the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College that struck down affirmative action in college admissions, Latino students continue to face an uncertain future. The decision’s reach extends far beyond admissions decisions, fundamentally altering the entire college experience — from admissions through the resources, programs, and culture that students encounter once they arrive on campus.  

Although the Supreme Court limited its ruling to college admissions, the Trump administration is pursuing a ban on race-conscious practices across all educational programs, arguing that efforts to promote opportunity and access for underrepresented students are discriminatory. This tactic effectively weaponizes anti-discrimination laws against the very communities they were meant to protect.  

Coupled with attacks on Hispanic Serving Institutions and threats to higher education funding, the Trump administration’s campaign has escalated a broader war on equity-focused programs across the spectrum, from colleges and universities to K-12 schools.   

The ongoing elimination of critical support programs benefiting underrepresented students threatens not just Latino students’ access to higher education, but also their ability to persist and graduate. This could have devastating long-term consequences for Latino educational attainment, career outcomes and intergenerational mobility that may take years to fully manifest.  

Latino enrollment was a mixed bag this past school year  

Current estimates for Fall 2024 Latino enrollment shows an increase of 6.6% from the previous year across all institutions. When it comes to competitive schools, which were more likely to use race in admissions decisions, enrollment trends tell a more complex story. The latest enrollment data show a small decline overall, with some institutions reporting alarming declines in Latino enrollment, others maintaining relatively stable numbers and a select few achieving notable increases in Latino student representation. 

According to the latest analysis by Education Reform Now, the most dramatic decline for Latinos was at John Hopkins University, a large, selective school, where the share of Latino students dropped by 51% compared to the average of the past two years. Ivy League institutions like Brown and Columbia experienced losses of less than 5%. Meanwhile, some schools saw growth: University of Virginia saw a 26% increase, while Yale University reported nearly a 20% rise in Latino students. Harvard, which faced a lawsuit alleging discrimination against Asian American students, saw a 5% increase in Latino enrollment.  

These numbers should be interpreted with some caution, as universities use different methods for calculating enrollment percentages and report this data inconsistently, with some omitting detailed racial and ethnic breakdowns. Adding to the complexity, the number of students deciding to not identify their race has increased significantly and admissions offices do not provide clear guidance on how to interpret enrollment data. Their admissions strategies and policies also remain closely guarded.  

Still, enrollment numbers for Latinos point to the unfulfilled promise of affirmative action. In fact, from 2000 to 2022 Latino enrollment increased by an average of only 7 percentage, which did not keep pace with Latino demographic growth, according to an EdTrust analysis of the nation’s 122 most selective private colleges and universities. Evidently, the nation’s most selective private colleges and universities were inaccessible to Latino students even before the 2023 decision and continue to be today. 

Latino support programs are vanishing 

While Latino student enrollment numbers are a mixed bag, the broader impact of the SFFA decision has devastated support systems. In particular, the Trump administration’s executive orders and Dear Colleague letters cite the language of the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling as rationale to ban race-conscious practices across all educational programs, extending the Court’s college admissions decision far beyond its original scope. 

Support systems impacted include targeted scholarships for first-generation Latino college students, mentorship programs, summer bridge initiatives and cultural centers — all of which help Latino students enter and navigate higher education. Programs that support Latino students are now being eliminated and scholarships for Latino students continue to face scrutiny and investigation.  

A lawsuit challenging the administration’s actions argues that factual inaccuracies and misinterpretations of civil rights laws will threaten funding and services for students across the country. Nevertheless, universities have preemptively dismantled support services and scholarship programs rather than risk losing federal funding, even when these programs were designed to address historical inequities.  

The consequences of these changes may become evident when next year’s enrollment and graduation data are released. 

Steps to mitigate effects of Supreme Court ruling 

The challenge of expanding Latino student access to higher education has grown increasingly difficult as colleges and universities confront coordinated political attacks on diversity initiatives at both federal and state levels. Yet there is still much that institutions, state lawmakers and Congress can — and must — do in this moment.  

Following the 2023 decision, UnidosUS published a report, ”Navigating the Impact of the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision on Higher Education,” with recommendations for achieving greater access to higher education for Latinos. These recommendations remain relevant today, as they emphasize increasing support for first-generation and low-income students and eliminating programs (such as legacy admissions) that sideline students who need support the most.  

While research shows that approaches that don’t directly address race and ethnicity do not rise to the same level of impact as those that do, integrating various strategies such as focusing on students’ socioeconomic status, enhancing financial aid and overhauling recruitment still offers a way forward for underrepresented students.   

Initiatives addressing historic opportunity gaps for Latinos and other underrepresented groups aren’t exclusive or divisive but instead provide targeted support precisely where data shows its needed most, without shutting out other students facing comparable obstacles. As we navigate this shifting landscape, leaders must resist the impulse to overcorrect or preventively eliminate effective support and recruitment programs. Instead, our collective responsibility lies in fortifying these vital initiatives while articulating their true purpose with precision and conviction.  

Authored Jenny Muñiz, UnidosUS, Senior Policy Advisor