S928 — An Act banning legacy preferences in higher education

Summary

An Act banning legacy preferences in higher education

Bill Text

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AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill prohibits public higher education institutions in Massachusetts from considering familial relationships or disclosing relatives' educational backgrounds during the admission process.

• Chapter 15A, Section 9

  For purposes of this paragraph, a public higher education institution shall mean a school in the University of Massachusetts segment or in the state university segment of the system of public institutions of higher education established in section 5 of chapter 15A. When deciding whether to grant admission to an applicant, a public higher education institution shall not consider the applicant’s familial relationship to a graduate of the institution. A public higher education institution shall not include in the documents that it uses to consider an applicant for admission information that discloses the name of any college or university that any relative of the applicant attended.

  This addition defines public higher education institutions and mandates they disregard familial relationships in admission decisions.

• Chapter 69, Section 30A

  Section 30B. When deciding whether to grant admission to an applicant, a degree-granting institution of higher education located in the commonwealth authorized to grant degrees by the board of higher education shall not consider the applicant’s familial relationship to a graduate of the institution. Such institution shall not include in the documents that it uses to consider an applicant for admission information that discloses the name of any college or university that any relative of the applicant attended.

  This creates a new requirement for degree-granting institutions in Massachusetts, ensuring they do not consider familial relationships or disclose relatives' educational backgrounds in their admission processes.

• Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect for admission decisions that lead to an applicant’s initial enrollment in a public higher education institution in the 2026-2027 school year.

  This provision sets a specific effective date for the amendments regarding admissions.

Sponsors

• Lydia Edwards · Primary

Subjects