Beyond Fairness to Whom: A Macro Distributive Justice Framework for University Scholarship Models

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Healing, Sovereignty, and Relational Justice in Higher Education

Abstract

This study advances the discourse on equity in higher education by examining university scholarship distribution through the lens of macro distributive justice. Drawing on data from 15 Chinese universities (N=3,849), the research proposes a typology integrating “Unity vs. Diversity” and “Elitism vs. Egalitarianism” to categorize institutional practices. Findings reveal that “Diversity-Egalitarianism” correlates with stronger student belonging and perceived fairness, whereas “Diversity-Elitism” correlates with self-attribution and lower cohesion. Faculty and student preferences further validate the need to balance excellence with inclusivity. Employing mixed methods, this study challenges procedural fairness paradigms and calls for community-oriented distribution principles that reconcile talent selection with developmental equity. It offers a new framework for global scholarship policy reform.

Author

• TONG XIAO, Xiamen University