Fair College Admissions for Students Act

The Fair College Admissions for Students Act proposes to eliminate legacy and donor-based preferences in the college admissions process. Specifically, it would prohibit any institution of higher education that participates in federal student aid programs from giving an advantage to applicants based on their family relationship to alumni or financial donors. This change would apply to a vast majority of public and private colleges and universities across the United States.

If enacted, the bill aims to create a more merit-based application process by removing what many critics describe as unfair advantages for wealthy or well-connected families. For everyday citizens, this could mean that students applying to competitive universities would no longer compete against applicants who receive a boost solely because their parents attended the school or donated money. The legislation seeks to ensure that federal tax dollars, provided through student aid programs, are not used to support institutions that maintain these preferential admission practices.