Racial Preferences in University Admissions in South Africa

White students are charging that they are discriminated against in admissions for places at the University of Cape Town. The white students allege that they are required to have higher grades than black students in order to be considered for admission.

The Higher Education Act passed by the black-controlled South African parliament requires universities to increase admissions of blacks and other underrepresented groups.

The University of Cape Town states on its Web site, “In order to move beyond the issue of race alone, we shall seek ways of differentiating between applicants on the basis of varying degrees of disadvantage flowing from social class and educational experience or a combination of these.”

Copyright © 2008. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.