MERIT Act
Sponsored By: Senator Young, Todd [R-IN]
Introduced
Summary
Ban preferential admissions tied to alumni or donors. The bill would add that restriction to accreditation reviews, require public compliance reports to Congress, and fund a privacy-focused feasibility study on third-party data collection.
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- Students and families: Would curb admissions or tangible education benefits that are decided because an applicant is related to an alumnus or donor. Applicants may still show "demonstrated interest" if schools publish clear criteria and make opportunities equally accessible.
- Colleges and accreditors: Would add a new accreditation standard to assess preferential treatment and require the Education Secretary to report on compliance, technical assistance, and monitoring 180 days after negotiated rulemaking ends and then every two years.
- Data and privacy: Would require a feasibility study, within 2 years, on using the National Student Clearinghouse to produce institution-level analyses of legacy/donor impacts while weighing data accuracy, IPEDS integration, confidentiality, and protections against creating a nationwide personally identifiable information database.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Ban legacy and donor preferences
If enacted, the bill would require college accrediting agencies to check whether schools refrain from giving admissions or tangible education benefits when an applicant's relationship to an alumnus or donor is the deciding factor. It would define "preferential treatment" as when that relationship is the determinative factor for admission or benefits. Religious colleges would still be allowed to make admissions choices consistent with their faith. The bill would let schools consider "demonstrated interest" only if the criteria are public, applicants can explain their interest, and opportunities to show interest are equally available regardless of money, alumni ties, or donor ties. The Education Department would report to Congressional education committees with compliance details not later than 180 days after related negotiated rulemaking finishes, and then every two years, and those reports would be public.
Study donor and legacy admissions data
If enacted, the Education Department would study, within two years, whether it could work with the National Student Clearinghouse to collect and produce institution-level analyses of the impact of admissions tied to alumni or donor relationships. The study would evaluate data accuracy, whether institutions have clear policies to report, possible integration with IPEDS, effects on Clearinghouse interactions, and how to protect donor confidentiality while separating legacy ties from donor affiliations. The study would also consider ways to avoid transferring disaggregated personally identifiable data to the Department. The bill would say nothing in this section authorizes creating a nationwide database of personally identifiable information.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Young, Todd [R-IN]
IN • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
SC • R
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA]
GA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]
LA • R
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov