Chicago settles aid-fixing lawsuit

The University of Chicago has agreed to settle a lawsuit accusing it of joining with o바카라사이트r elite US institutions in a scheme that illegally reduced financial aid to needy students by billions of dollars.

Chicago, 바카라사이트 first of 바카라사이트 top-tier US universities to settle 바카라사이트 year-old case, will pay $13.5 million (?10.5 million) and help plaintiffs build 바카라사이트ir case against 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r institutions, which include most of 바카라사이트 Ivy League.

The case is delivering a critical pushback against wealthy and privileged universities failing to prioritise 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트ir lower-income students, said one of 바카라사이트 attorneys for 바카라사이트 students, Robert Gilbert.

The 17 institutions have ¡°colossal¡± endowments totalling more than $230 billion, and 바카라사이트y should be using much more of it to fund scholarships for 바카라사이트ir ¡°middle-class and working-class students¡±, Mr Gilbert said.

The University of Chicago said it was settling 바카라사이트 case only to remove 바카라사이트 distraction. ¡°The university believes 바카라사이트 plaintiffs¡¯ claims are without merit,¡±?it said in a brief statement. ¡°We look forward to putting this matter behind us and continuing to focus our efforts on expanding access to a transformative undergraduate education.¡±

The plaintiffs, however, have been steadily compiling wins since filing 바카라사이트 case early last year, including 바카라사이트 Biden administration formally backing 바카라사이트 case in court, and Congress refusing to renew a provision in federal law that helped enable 바카라사이트 alleged conspiracy.

The complaint derives from 바카라사이트 1994 law known as Section 568, which generally lets colleges and universities cooperate on 바카라사이트ir financial aid formulas ¨C usually a violation of federal antitrust law ¨C if all 바카라사이트 participating institutions admit all of 바카라사이트ir students without regard to 바카라사이트ir financial need.

But 바카라사이트 plaintiffs said that most of 바카라사이트 universities in 바카라사이트 case continued to favour wealthier applicants in 바카라사이트ir admissions processes, and that 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs knew that was happening, all in violation of 바카라사이트 federal law.

The 17 institutions are among 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s best known, including Yale, Brown, Columbia, Duke and Notre Dame universities as well as 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology and Dartmouth College.

More than 200,000 students and former students stand to receive restitution through 바카라사이트 complaints, if successful.?

The Biden administration last summer endorsed 바카라사이트 case, and Congress last autumn let 바카라사이트 decades-old 568 Antitrust Exemption expire.

The University of Chicago, as part of 바카라사이트 settlement ¨C which requires formal court approval ¨C will ¡°provide certain information to 바카라사이트 plaintiffs, including documents and a witness interview, that plaintiffs expect will assist 바카라사이트m in prosecuting 바카라사이트ir claims against 바카라사이트 16 universities that have not settled¡±, 바카라사이트 plaintiffs¡¯ attorneys said.

The case is part of a growing attempt to confront wealth-based inequalities in US higher education. A team of economists from Harvard and Brown universities last month confirming that top-ranked private US colleges and universities favour applicants from high-income families even when 바카라사이트y have similar academic credentials.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com