Harvard University became the final Ivy League school last week to partner with QuestBridge’s National College Match, committing to admit low-income students with full scholarships despite a national push against diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Since 1994, QuestBridge has connected high school seniors with leading U.S. universities. It currently has 55 college partners, now including all eight Ivies. Students will now be able to be admitted with full scholarships to schools ranging from powerhouses like Stanford University to liberal arts schools like Skidmore College.
“Had it not been for QuestBridge, I would have never been able to afford a college education, much less at a school like this,” said Rachel Barrientos, a Boston University sophomore who was admitted on a full scholarship in 2023. “I love having more QuestBridge scholars in the Boston area. It can only strengthen our community.”
Harvard’s decision to join QuestBridge came at a time when President Trump signed executive orders to undermine DEI programs in the federal government and schools.
Last week, he ordered federal agencies to investigate DEI programs at universities with endowments exceeding $1 billion, claiming the programs violate federal civil rights laws.
“These actions are in line with President Trump’s ongoing commitment to end illegal discrimination and wasteful spending across the federal government,” according to a statement by the Department of Education. “They are the first step in reorienting the agency toward prioritizing meaningful learning ahead of divisive ideology in our schools.”
Only a few hundred of the more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States have endowments over $1 billion. The executive order targets 47 of QuestBridge’s college partners including Harvard, Yale and Northwestern University, according to a Medill News Service analysis of data published by QuestBridge and the universities.
“I hope that whatever the federal government is doing against DEI initiatives will not affect [QuestBridge],” said Antonio R. Flores, head of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
QuestBridge does not provide scholarships directly. College partners use their own funds, as well as state and federal dollars, to fund the Match Scholarship.
As more states pass laws shutting down DEI programs, education advocates have learned how to cope. In Texas, state law leaves exceptions for low-income or first-generation students.
“We need to promote the ways in which institutions and students can still avail themselves of resources by meeting those criteria,” said Flores. Most students who come from historically underrepresented communities already meet those exceptions and remain eligible for additional assistance, he said.
For Barrientos, the four-year scholarship now covers the $90,000 yearly cost of attending Boston University. First-generation college students like Barrientos made up 20% of Boston University’s class of 2028.
“We look forward to working together to attract the nation’s brightest students from low-income backgrounds and enhancing our efforts to provide educational opportunities to talented students everywhere,” said Harvard Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William Fitzsimmons in a statement.
Federal agencies have 120 days to submit their report and provide the president with ways to “end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI.”
“These DEI initiatives do not take opportunities away from others, they ensure students like me are not overlooked due to systemic barriers,” said Barrientos. “We have earned our right to be in these elite institutions and the insinuation of anything less is beyond insulting.”
