Because it is a taxpayer supported institution that has a no nepotism/favoritism policy.
Originally Posted by Whirlaway
If you are speaking of the University of Texas system, it is true that taxpayer funds are used, which is precisely why there is a political component to the admission process, since the Texas Legislature must vote for appropriations of taxpayer funds, AND legislators who "hold the purse strings" will be asking for "favors" of the schools administration/admission personnel, who will respond in order to curry favor for the appropriations process. In addition as long as boards serve at the blessing of an elected official there will be politics ...
http://www.utexas.edu/research/resou...unding-sources
in addition the University of Texas system is heavily underwritten by endowment funds from alumni and if anyone on here thinks that a $100,000 contributor can't get his or her marginally intelligent child into UT then ...
well ... you are the "marginally intelligent child" of a non-contributor.
in the past the Legislature has attempted to "water down" the admission standards of some "schools" within the University of Texas system (I know of one in particular) and the department/school head(s) have pushed back with the support of the school's alumni and the Legislators backed down.
College campuses are political within the administration and externally.
Those who kept up with the decision to expand or replace Memorial Stadium (now "Darrel K. Royal-Memorial Stadium) should be aware of the clout of Coach Royal vs. LBJ. Coach won. That was raw politics.