California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law banning legacy preferences at private universities, joining a budding movement to end a longstanding practice giving the children of alumni and donors a leg up in the college admissions process.

Public universities in California won’t be affected by the change. California State University does not consider legacy or donor ties, and the University of California system stopped doing so in 1998, two years after California voters banned race-conscious admissions through a statewide ballot measure.

The change will affect Stanford University, the University of Southern California and other private colleges in the state.

While a handful of private colleges allow legacy admissions, backers say banning the practice will help more students feel welcome.

California has become the second state to prohibit private colleges and universities from giving extra consideration to applicants who are related to alumni or donors. AB1780, signed into law by Gov.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that makes California the latest state to ban legacy and donor admissions in higher education, including at Stanford and USC.