Syracuse and Cornell universities have been named in a massive class action lawsuit that was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

It alleges SU and Cornell, as well as 38 other schools in the U.S., conducted a price-fixing strategy in which tuition costs were raised for those in divorced or separated families. 

Spectrum News 1 reached out to officials at both Cornell and Syracuse universities and both declined to comment on pending litigation. 

Other New York universities named in the lawsuit included the University of Rochester and New York University.

In a statement, the law firm representing students behind the lawsuit said the universities required noncustodial parents to provide financial information to factor in when an applicant sought non-federal financial aid from the university. The lawsuit states this increased the cost of tuition by more than six thousand dollars on average when compared to institutions not involved in the alleged agreement. 

Also a defendant is the College Board, a not-for-profit organization that assists students navigate the path from high school to college and careers.

"College Board has just received this legal action and are reviewing it, but we are confident that we will prevail in this action," College Board said in a statement to Spectrum News 1.