The Christian Science Monitor, one of my favourite publications, last week wrote an editorial favourable to the current trend to improve the number of students from low-income backgrounds at America’s most selective universities.
It is worth noting that difference in public opinion to income-based admission schemes compared to race-based admission schemes.
I fit into this category, I do not support race-based admission quotas. The difference between race-based and income-based on paper is great, in practice there is very little difference.
In both Canada and America, the students targeted by race-based admissions are generally living in low-income situations. The goal is to address one’s socio-economic situation, not the colour of one’s skin.
The big question in the latest trend is if there will be a backlash in five years time.
There was resentment of race-based affirmative action as some "white" people felt that "under-qualified" students were bypassing them for limited spaces in programs such as law.
Will the upper and upper-middle classes revolt if they see people from lower incomes filling those seats instead?