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Republicans Investigate Ivy League Tuition Practices
In a move reflecting increasing scrutiny of higher education institutions, Republican lawmakers have sent letters to eight Ivy League universities expressing concerns over possible collusion related to tuition hikes.
The universities targeted in this inquiry include Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
Lawmakers are alleging that these prestigious schools may be engaging in collaborative practices that could violate antitrust laws, aiming to sustain or elevate tuition costs. The correspondence emphasizes that the lawmakers believe these institutions may be collectively raising tuition fees while using selective financial aid strategies that could maximize institutional revenue.
The Republicans’ letter articulates their concern: “We are particularly concerned that Ivy League member institutions appear to collectively raise tuition prices while engaging in price discrimination by offering selective financial aid packages to maximize profit.”
As part of their investigation, the GOP lawmakers highlighted certain institutional practices they find troubling. These include policies like requiring first-year students to live on campus and participate in meal plans. They also referenced a lawsuit alleging that the College Board colluded with universities to limit the availability of financial aid, and noted meetings conducted by the Council of Ivy League Presidents concerning admissions strategies.
The legislators have requested that the Ivy League institutions provide documents from 2019 onward that detail communications with other universities and organizations such as the College Board by April 22.
The letters were signed by prominent Republican figures, including House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), alongside Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.), the chair of the House Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights.
The authors of the letter have expressed their belief that the coordinated actions of these institutions and the alleged collusion may contravene the Sherman Act, raising concerns about the ongoing benefits universities derive from such practices despite the absence of an antitrust exemption.
Source
thehill.com