Thirty-two selective colleges accused in antitrust lawsuit

Almost three dozen selective colleges are facing an antitrust lawsuit that alleges they use early decision admissions to reduce competition and financial aid packages for students, reports Laura Spitalniak for Higher Ed Dive.

The lawsuit, filed Friday (8 August), argues that early decision admissions – a college application option that ostensibly binds a prospective student to enrol if they receive an acceptance offer – allows colleges to artificially decrease competition, charge higher tuition rates and offer less financial aid.

Friday’s filings also named as defendants two college application platforms, Common App and Scoir, as well as the Consortium on Financing Higher Education, a coalition of selective liberal arts colleges that share information. All 32 defendant colleges either are or have been members of CFHE, according to the lawsuit. In addition to damages, the lawsuit is seeking a permanent block on the defendants’ use of early decision admissions.
Full report on the Higher Ed Dive site