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Home News Settlements Near $320M In Lawsuit Over College Admissions Practices

Settlements Near $320M In Lawsuit Over College Admissions Practices

by Celia

Johns Hopkins University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have agreed to pay a total of $35.2 million to settle claims that they favored wealthier students in their admissions processes. This brings the total settlements in a lawsuit over financial aid practices to nearly $320 million.

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The latest settlements were disclosed in a court filing on Friday by lawyers representing a proposed class of 224,000 current and former students. The settlement terms still need approval from a federal judge in Chicago.

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The lawsuit, filed in 2022, accuses 17 prestigious universities of violating U.S. antitrust laws by disregarding a pledge not to consider applicants’ financial situations when making admissions decisions. Under the new deal, Caltech will pay $16.7 million, and Johns Hopkins will pay $18.5 million. Earlier settlements included agreements from Brown, Yale, and Columbia universities, which together paid $62 million.

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“We believe these settlements confirm the validity of our claims,” said Ted Normand, one of the lead attorneys for the students. “Our focus now is on holding the remaining defendants accountable.”

Although these schools, including those that have settled, deny any wrongdoing, they have expressed a commitment to financial aid fairness. Caltech stated, “We are unwavering in our commitment to ensure that a student’s socioeconomic status is not a barrier to a Caltech education.” Johns Hopkins did not immediately comment on the settlement.

Remaining defendants in the case include Cornell, Georgetown, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Pennsylvania, and Notre Dame. Cornell issued a statement asserting that its admissions process is based on student qualifications, not financial capacity, and that it offers financial aid after individualized assessments. Notre Dame similarly denied the claims, saying, “We continue to believe that there is no merit to the plaintiffs’ claims.”

Georgetown, MIT, and Penn have not yet responded to requests for comment.

In a recent filing, the universities argued that the plaintiffs’ damages estimate was unreliable and should be excluded from consideration. However, the plaintiffs maintain that they have evidence showing some schools prioritized students based on family wealth and past donations.

The case is Henry v. Brown University, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Case No. 1:22-cv-00125).

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