The National Association for College Admission Counseling has agreed to strike several rules from its code of ethics that federal investigators said ran afoul of antitrust laws.

The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into NACAC two years ago over ethics rules the agency believed limited student choice. Among other things, the code prohibited colleges from offering financial incentives to students during the admissions process and discourages those same institutions from wooing students who have already committed to other colleges.

The provisions in question were removed by the association in September, but to ensure they remain that way, the DOJ filed suit with the two sides reaching a consent decree compelling NACAC not to resurrect the rules, according to a Dec. 12 statement by the agency.

"While trade associations and standards-setting organizations can and often do promote rules and standards that benefit the market as a whole, they cannot do so at the cost of competition," said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the DOJ's Antitrust Division. "Today's settlement is a victory for all college applicants and students across the United States who will benefit from vigorous competition among colleges for their enrollment."

For its part, NACAC said it will further examine its code of ethics "to determine how it can best continue to serve the interests of students to fulfill its mission."

"NACAC will implement all requirements of the consent decree, and we will do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and commitment to students," NACAC CEO Joyce Smith said in statement. "We can and will remain a champion for the ethical practice of college admission and a steadfast advocate for protecting students in their transition to higher education."