Bipartisan Senators Introduce MERIT Act to End Legacy Admissions at Colleges and Universities

MERIT Act Seeks to Amend Higher Education Act, Prohibit Legacy Admissions Based on Donor and Alumni Ties Amid Supreme Court Ruling Against Affirmative Action

• U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) have introduced the Merit-Based Educational Reforms and Institutional Transparency Act (MERIT Act), a bipartisan bill designed to end legacy admissions at colleges and universities.
• The MERIT Act proposes to amend the Higher Education Act, changing school accreditation requirements to prohibit institutions from preferentially admitting applicants based on their familial relations to donors or alumni.
• The initiative comes after the Supreme Court's ruling which ended affirmative action, prompting discussions about reconsidering admissions criteria, including the critique of legacy admissions. Wesleyan University and University of Minnesota have already banned legacy admissions in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.
• Upon introducing the bill, the senators call for comprehensive data concerning the influence of legacy and donor relations on admissions. However, the proposed legislation ensures that religious institutions may continue to make admissions decisions aligning with their values.
• While support for the MERIT Act beyond Senators Kaine and Young is uncertain, niche and mainstream support against legacy admissions has grown. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey showed that 75% of participants believe legacy status should not influence admissions, and over 100 colleges and universities have banned the practice since 2015.

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