End Legacy and Donor Preferences in College Admissions

The 2023 Supreme Court ruling ended race as a factor in college admissions but left legacy and donor preferences in place.

A letter to your members of Congress. Facts checked September 24, 2026.

The explainer behind this letter Affirmative Action What the 2023 ruling ended, what it left legal, and what changed after

The Letter

Subject Please Co-Sponsor the Fair College Admissions for Students Act (S. 880 / H.R. 2809)

I am writing to ask you to co-sponsor the Fair College Admissions for Students Act, S. 880 in the Senate and H.R. 2809 in the House.

When the Supreme Court ended race-conscious admissions in 2023, its opinion described the last step of Harvard's process: a list of borderline applicants that held four pieces of information. They were legacy status, recruited athlete status, financial aid eligibility, and race. The Court removed race. Legacy status is still there.

A leg up for the children of alumni and donors rewards family connections, not anything a student has done. This bill would bar colleges that take federal student aid from giving that preference.

It is bipartisan. Sens. Jeff Merkley and John Kennedy introduced it in the Senate, and Rep. Young Kim introduced it in the House with Rep. Summer Lee.

Please co-sponsor it so college admissions reward what students have done.

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Call Your Representative

U.S. Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121

I'm a constituent calling about legacy preferences in college admissions.
The Supreme Court ended race as a factor in 2023, but colleges can still favor the children of alumni and donors.
Please co-sponsor the Fair College Admissions for Students Act, S. 880 in the Senate and H.R. 2809 in the House. It is bipartisan.

Calls get logged by topic. Volume drives the briefing.

The Facts Behind the Ask

4 pieces of information on Harvard's "lop list" of borderline applicants: legacy, athlete, financial aid, and race (source)
June 29, 2023 the Supreme Court ended race-conscious admissions and left legacy preferences untouched (source)
March 19, 2026 the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing on S. 880, a bipartisan bill with 2 cosponsors (source)

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