US Military Academies End Racial Preferences in Admissions

The policy changes could lead to the settlement of lawsuits against both service institutions.

Graduating cadets attend the commencement ceremony of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., on May 30, 2024. Kevin Mohatt/Reuters

The U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point have said that race is no longer a factor in their admissions processes—a policy shift that could move ongoing cases closer to settlement.

In separate letters sent on April 11 to federal courts in Colorado and New York, the academies requested a 60-day pause in the lawsuits brought against them by Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), arguing that the admissions policies in question are no longer in effect.