Higher Education: School's Use of the Antitrust Exemption Has Not Significantly Affected College Affordability or Likelihood of Student Enrollment to Date

United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2006-09-21 monographic deposited born digital 97 p. GA 1.13:GAO-06-963 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-963 P0b002ee180397d03 f:d06963 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-963 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-963 GAO-06-963 Antitrust law College students Colleges and universities Comparative analysis Cost analysis Financial analysis Higher education Income statistics Price fixing Program evaluation Student financial aid Other Written Product A61250 Higher Education: School's Use of the Antitrust Exemption Has Not Significantly Affected College Affordability or Likelihood of Student Enrollment to Date In 1991 the U.S. Department of Justice sued nine colleges and universities, alleging that they had restrained competition by making collective financial aid determinations for students accepted to more than one of these schools. Against the backdrop of this litigation, Congress enacted a temporary exemption from antitrust laws for higher education institutions in 1992. The exemption allows limited collaboration regarding financial aid practices with the goal of promoting equal access to education. The exemption applies only to institutional financial aid and can only be used by schools that admit students without regard to ability to pay. In passing an extension to the exemption in 2001, Congress directed GAO to study the effects of the exemption. GAO examined (1) how many schools used the exemption and what joint practices they implemented, (2) trends in costs and institutional grant aid at schools using the exemption, (3) how expected family contributions at schools using the exemption compare to those at similar schools not using the exemption, and (4) the effects of the exemption on affordability and enrollment. GAO surveyed schools, analyzed school and student-level data, and developed econometric models. GAO used extensive peer review to obtain comments from outside experts and made changes as appropriate. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-963/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-963.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-963/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-963.pdf GAO-06-963 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-963 Other Written Product GAO-06-963; Higher Education: School's Use of the Antitrust Exemption Has Not Significantly Affected College Affordability or Likelihood of Student Enrollment to Date; Antitrust law College students Colleges and universities Comparative analysis Cost analysis Financial analysis Higher education Income statistics Price fixing Program evaluation Student financial aid