Wisconsin GOP is after minority scholarships after Affirmative Action removed by SCOTUS

The Republican Party’s ongoing dispute with racially diverse universities is not merely confined to the contentious issue of affirmative action.

It is becoming increasingly evident that Republican actions to prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education institutions, limit progressive speech, and constrain academic discourse on social disparities are all strategic moves designed to obstruct the transformation of higher education into a more inclusive space — especially for students of color.

Now, it seems, the Republican Party is targeting another instrument that encourages diversity on campuses: scholarship programs for minority students.

On Thursday, Robin Vos, the Republican Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, hinted at potential legislative action to prohibit grants specifically designed for minority undergraduate students. Vos reacted to a tweet that framed a scholarship program for Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, Laotian, Vietnamese, or Cambodian students as “discrimination.”

In his response, Vos seemed to personify the growing conservative drive to inhibit opportunities for racial minorities in higher education. His statement emerged mere hours after the Supreme Court’s conservative justices dismantled affirmative action policies in college admissions, illustrating his readiness to terminate minority scholarship programs. Further intensifying this narrative, Vos retweeted a message suggesting Ivy League institutions “hate rural whites,” indicating that his crusade against minority scholarships might mask a white revanchist agenda.

Vos has consistently stood against DEI efforts, branding such initiatives within the University of Wisconsin System as “indoctrination.” This stance remained unchanged even as a racially charged incident at the Madison campus drew significant media attention earlier this year. Despite Wisconsin’s projected budget surplus of $7 billion, Vos, along with other Republican state legislators, voted to slash $32 million from the University of Wisconsin System’s budget. This cut is contingent on the stipulation that the funding is allocated towards workforce development rather than DEI initiatives. The proposed GOP budget also plans to eliminate nearly 200 DEI positions across the University of Wisconsin campuses.

Last week’s Supreme Court decision has seemingly granted conservatives the green light to dismantle integration and diversification efforts on campuses. Given these developments, there is little doubt that many are ready, and possibly eager, to take on the task.