Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks to End Legacy Admissions at Colleges

Six senators from both parties introduced the Merit Act, a federal proposal that would prohibit accredited universities from giving admission advantages to children of alumni or donors.

A bipartisan coalition of six senators announced the Merit-based Educational Reforms and Institutional Transparency Act, targeting legacy and donor admissions preferences at accredited colleges and universities. The sponsors—Republicans Todd Young, Tim Scott and John Kennedy, and Democrats Tim Kaine, Raphael Warnock and Andy Kim—argue the practice skews merit and undermines public confidence, a view reinforced by a Yale committee report that recommends reducing such preferences.

The proposal follows state-level bans enacted in California, Maryland and Virginia, as well as voluntary abandonments by Amherst, Wesleyan and Johns Hopkins. While some Harvard professors defend the autonomy of institutions to set their own policies, former Harvard presidents have called for ending legacy admissions. The bill includes a carve-out for faith-based schools, raising questions about how historic religious universities might respond. No comment has been received from Harvard officials regarding potential lobbying against the measure.