H4406
An Act banning legacy and donor preferences in higher education
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- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill proposes to eliminate legacy and donor preferences in the admissions process at Massachusetts colleges and universities. Legacy preferences give advantages to the children of alumni, while donor preferences reward contributions to the institution. The goal is to create a more equitable and merit-based system for college admissions. This legislation aims to increase access to higher education for a wider range of students.
Key provisions
- Prohibits institutions of higher education from considering an applicant’s legacy status.
- Prohibits institutions of higher education from considering an applicant’s relationship to a donor.
- Requires institutions to use objective criteria for admissions.
- Establishes a process for institutions to comply with the ban.
- Defines ‘legacy status’ and ‘donor preference’ for the purpose of the law.
- Specifies that the ban applies to all admissions decisions.
Who is affected
- Massachusetts colleges and universities
- Applicants seeking admission to higher education institutions
- Alumni of Massachusetts colleges and universities
- Donors to Massachusetts colleges and universities
- Higher Education Institutions
Notable changes
- This bill would change the current admissions practices of Massachusetts colleges and universities.
- It removes preferential treatment based on familial connections and financial contributions.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Joint Committee on Higher Education
Cosponsors
Francisco E. Paulino
Michael J. Moran
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Bill H.4406 194th (Current)
An Act banning legacy and donor preferences in higher education
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Bill Information
Bill Information
Sponsor: Joint Committee on Higher Education Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
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Bill History Cosponsors Committee Vote Committee Summary
Bill History
Displaying 3 actions for Bill H.4406
| Date | Branch | Action |
| 8/28/2025 | House | Reported from the committee on Higher Education |
| 8/28/2025 | House | New draft of H1425 and H1452 |
| 8/28/2025 | House | Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means |
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