Watch a view from outside the US Supreme Court on Thursday 29 June, the day that it announced a decision to strike down raced-based college admissions.
The court has ruled that private and public colleges and universities may not consider race as a factor in admissions.
For more than 20 years, colleges and universities have used affirmative action to help establish a diverse group of accepted students which contributes to a more positive education experience.
But now, higher education institutions will no longer be allowed to consider race as a factor in admissions. Instead, students who wish to have their race or culture considered in their application will have to volunteer the information in their personal essay.
The new ruling is a result of the consolidated cases Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College.
Since its founding in 2014, SFFA has filed over 20,000 lawsuits on behalf of students and their parents who claim students did not get accepted to a selective university due to their race.