Congress is working together to cut funding for colleges that continue legacy admissions

There is a bill in Congress that could put an end to legacy admissions. The bipartisan MERIT Act seeks to ban colleges and universities from considering applicants’ legacy status in the admissions process if they receive federal funding. This is an effort to value hard work, determination, and excellence over wealth, privilege, and special considerations.

The bill has been co-sponsored by Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana and Democrat Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. It aims to change the accreditation standards of the Higher Education Act to eliminate any “preferential treatment” in the admissions process in order to receive federal funds. This comes after last year’s Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action in college admissions, sparking renewed scrutiny of legacy admissions practices.

The widespread practice of legacy admissions was highlighted, particularly regarding elite colleges. Harvard, for example, has come under scrutiny for its admissions practices, which show that legacy applicants have a 33% acceptance rate, and 43% of white students at Harvard were legacies. The MERIT Act, if successful, could jeopardize Harvard’s federal funding, despite its multi-billion-dollar endowment.

However, the tides are turning as 100 schools have already eliminated legacy admissions considerations between 2015 and 2022, and several highly selective schools have nixed the practice. Local lawmakers across the country are also taking aim at legacy admissions, with some states introducing laws to ban the practice at public colleges.

Senator Young, who is a graduate of the highly selective University of Chicago, has been motivated to sponsor the MERIT Bill to restore meritocracy on campus. He hopes to succeed in restoring faith in higher education by eliminating legacy admissions.