As many universities have been known to bend the rules for legacy students, affirmative action supporters are declaring it racist and attacking legacy preferences.

Ken Lehrman, director of the Office of Affirmative Action, said the legacy status could be considered reverse affirmative action.

"This is the antithesis of what affirmative action is supposed to accomplish if it mostly advances white males," he said.

John Romano, vice provost and dean for enrollment management, said Penn State grants legacy status to students whose parents attended the university.

Legacy status is used only to determine which campus an applicant will be admitted to, Romano said, and only comes into play when a student is "on the threshold."

Legacy status is only considered after an applicant has been admitted to Penn State, he said.

"It's a factor, but one of the most minor factors," he said.

Because legacy preferences are not by definition based on race, they are not subject to the same legal review as affirmative action. But as long as both exist, they will be coupled in political debates because one seems to balance the other, said Boston University professor of economics Glenn Loury.

Many believe legacy only serves to reinforce the past.

"The likelihood is if you go back 20 to 30 years, most graduates were white and it stands to reason statistically that legacy advantages would go to Caucasians," Lehrman said.

The Office of Affirmative Action deals with employment rather than admissions, but Lehrman said if legacy status plays a minor role, it is not disadvantageous.

"It is not detrimental to have a diverse student body. As long as diversity is promoted, it would benefit the values of the institution," he said.

Another admissions official also said diversity is an important factor in admissions.

"We believe in affirmative action as a university and use it to create a more diverse community," said Geoffrey Harford, senior director in the Undergraduate Admissions Office. "We have seen an increase in the years, of students, other than Caucasians, being admitted into the university."

Creating a more diverse university will in turn create more diverse alumni, Romano said. In future years, the legacy status would therefore apply to more diverse students.

"Legacy status today based on 30 years ago will not result in racial and ethnic diversity, at least not very much," Lehrman said. "With more diverse alumni, the legacy points would be less objectionable because they could be distributed on a more equitable balance."

In order to develop diversity, Penn State has three recruitment centers to reach out to the historically underprivileged, Romano said. These centers are located in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, where there are concentrations of high school students.

"What we are trying to do is overcome whatever historical incidences which have occurred that serve as a barrier for students to pursue the American dream," Romano said. "We are in the barrier removal business."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.