The “568 Cartel”: U.S. Universities Sued for Limiting Financial Aid in Antitrust Violation

Abstract

Sixteen U.S. universities, including Ivy institutions like Columbia, Yale, and Brown, are being sued by financial aid recipients for colluding to limit financial aid, violating antitrust laws in the process. With students and graduates across the country struggling to pay back more than USD 1.7 trillion in student loan debt, the lawsuit comes at a particularly tense time, driving many students to question the skyrocketing costs of a college degree. This case goes over the details of the lawsuit and asks students to examine it in the context of the student debt crisis and the growing movement for loan forgiveness.