Fla. Reports Gain in Minority Students Attending College

By John Gehring

Seven months after Florida's state colleges and universities ended race- and gender-based admission policies, the number of minority students entering the system this fall increased by 12 percent, according to higher education officials.

Gov. Jeb Bush's plan to eliminate affirmative action and adopt a "Talented 20" program—in which the top 20 percent of graduating seniors from each state high school are guaranteed admission to one of the 10 state institutions—had sparked protests from some state lawmakers and national civil rights groups.( "Thousands Protest Fla. Plan To End Affirmative Action," March 15, 2000.)

This fall's entering class is the first to be admitted without affirmative action policies since 1978, when Florida put in place racial set-asides for college admissions. The Talented 20 policy is part of Gov. Bush's "One Florida" initiative, which also ended the use of race and gender considerations...