Republicans and Democrats clashed in a House subcommittee hearing Wednesday over rising college tuition and the role of elite universities in driving up costs. Lawmakers focused their scrutiny on Ivy League institutions, questioning whether their practices violate antitrust laws and exploit students financially.
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) highlighted a 2022 lawsuit against top universities alleging they conspired to favor wealthy students by charging them maximum rates based on financial data. He argued that the Ivy League sets tuition benchmarks that other colleges follow, inflating costs across the higher education market.
Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wa.) likened the Ivy League’s approach to that of diamond monopolies, accusing them of manipulating price, value, and marketing. He stated the true cost of college should allow students to graduate debt-free.
Testimony from Scott Martin, a legal expert on antitrust matters, supported these concerns. Martin said that elite universities’ nonprofit status, massive endowments, and small admissions pools may indicate systemic disregard for antitrust laws. The panel also heard from Brown University student Alex Shieh, who criticized his school’s excessive administrative bureaucracy, describing it as an “empire of bloat.”
Democrats agreed tuition is too high but shifted blame to Republican-led cuts in student aid. Rep. Jarrod Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) criticized GOP support for the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which reduces Pell Grant eligibility, caps student borrowing, and enforces repayment accountability on colleges.
Progressive think tank president Julie Margaretta Morgan argued that focusing solely on elite schools misses the bigger picture. She pointed to state colleges and community institutions, which serve most students, and emphasized that higher state and federal funding is needed to lower tuition.
Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) echoed that sentiment, warning that failure to support broader public institutions worsens the affordability crisis.
