Students who attended 10 elite schools accused of price fixing are now getting payments from a $284 million settlement

Students who attended 10 elite schools accused of participating in a price-fixing scheme are beginning to receive money from a $284 million settlement. On July 20, the first batch of payments was distributed to current and former students, with checks and electronic transfers based on eligibility. The underlying 2022 lawsuit alleged the schools formed “a price-fixing cartel,” favoring wealthy students and reducing need-based aid, resulting in overcharging by at least hundreds of millions of dollars, claims the schools denied. On the settlement website, the schools listed for payments are Brown, University of Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Rice, and Yale, with an average payment of about $2,000. Payments are sent via ACH, PayPal, Zelle, and Venmo, while those requesting physical checks were expected by July 24.