The real college admission scandal began in the United States in the 1920s. That’s when some colleges launched legacy policies, giving special consideration to children of alumni.

Getting into some of the more exclusive colleges is already stressful, expensive and rare. A student could show outstanding academic potential; could demonstrate depth of interests and character; could somehow have the piles of money lined up; and still not get in on merit…. Sorry, we regret to inform you another student’s parent went to our school. Have you tried being born to other parents?

Legacy admissions can reinforce racial and socio-economic inequity. They make America right for people for whom America has usually been right.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, introduced a bill earlier this year that would ban federal student aid programs from colleges with legacy admission policies. Schools would be free to continue the policy. They just wouldn’t be able to offer students federal financial aid.

Most schools don’t have legacy admissions. Many of the most competitive schools do. Your Harvards, Princetons, Columbias, Stanfords. Fully 16% of the Stanford class of 2023 is expected to be children of Stanford graduates.

There’s one word to describe why schools cling tightly to legacy admissions: money. It helps bring it in. It helps reinforce the need to give to the alma mater. It makes it a family tradition. Some of the nation’s wealthiest schools only get wealthier by showering their favored sons and daughters with privileged access.

No student going to college needs to go to the most exclusive universities. It’s possible to wring an excellent education out of almost any institution. It’s what the student does with those four years — or five. Yes at the more exclusive schools, there can be advantages in opening doors, creating connections and academics. They are also usually a place to go much deeper in debt per ounce of knowledge gained.

A curious aspect of Merkley’s bill is that it would allow the education secretary to continue to allow federal financial aid to flow to some institutions, such as historically Black colleges, because they admit high percentages of underrepresented students. We would hope there would be more analysis of that section of the bill. Let’s ensure that colleges that get waivers prove that it would lead to more underrepresented students being admitted.

What do you think about Merkley’s idea? There’s information about how to contact him here: www.merkley.senate.gov/contact.