Four universities have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused them of engaging in price-fixing admission fees and reducing financial aid to poorer students.
The settlement came as part of a 2022 antitrust lawsuit filed by several former students and parents against 17 universities. The complaint (pdf) alleged that the universities violated U.S. antitrust laws by considering a student’s ability to pay tuition fees when they shouldn’t. It accused the institutions of reducing or eliminating financial aid provided to students from lower and middle income families. The universities are also charged with inflating tuition costs for students receiving financial aid.
