MERIT Act

The MERIT Act (S 3232) prohibits colleges and universities from using an applicant’s relationship to alumni or donors as the main factor in admissions decisions. It defines "preferential treatment" as making admissions choices based solely on such connections and allows institutions to consider "demonstrated interest" (e.g., why a student values the school) if criteria are clear, public, and equally accessible to all applicants. The bill also ensures faith-based institutions can follow religious admissions policies and requires the Department of Education to report on compliance efforts and conduct a feasibility study on collecting data about admissions practices tied to alumni/donor relationships. This law directly affects all higher education institutions receiving federal funding under the Higher Education Act.