The Department of Justice ignited scrutiny on Monday with an investigation targeting the College of William & Mary. The probe aims to assess whether the Virginia-based public research institution’s scholarships and student benefits inappropriately incorporate race-based criteria, marking another move in the Trump administration’s nationwide focus on educational practices.
Announced by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, the compliance review seeks to determine if the college potentially breaches Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This landmark law forbids discrimination based on race, color, or national origin within programs or activities that receive federal funding.
“It is illegal to award scholarships or offer valued opportunities to students based merely on skin color. Such practices contradict the pledges of our color-blind Constitution,” remarked Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, in a public statement.
Dhillon further elaborated, “We are investigating whether scholarships or other student benefits at William & Mary show any preference towards applicants of specific races. The Department remains vigilant and will not overlook any forms of race-based preferences, regardless of their presentation by universities.”
This inquiry by the Department of Justice into the College of William & Mary focuses on identifying any unlawful race-based criteria in scholarships and benefits. (Photo by Julia Rendleman for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The “W&M Scholars” program for first-year undergraduate students includes a scholarship that covers at least the full cost of in-state tuition and fees.
While the scholarship is not limited to any particular race, the DOJ said in a notice letter to the institution that applicants with an “interest in diverse people and perspectives” receive “top consideration.” William & Mary’s website lists that consideration alongside academic ability and potential and first-generation or limited-income status.
The W&M School of Education’s need-based Martha L. Muguira Fellowship for graduate students gives a “preference” to Hispanic or Latino women, who have financial need, according to the DOJ. The W&M School of Education’s doctoral-level Holmes Scholars program was described by the DOJ as giving “future education leaders of color” mentorship, access to job fairs and position announcements, as well as national-level professional development benefits, including policy and advocacy training and opportunities to present their research. William & Mary’s current website describes Holmes Scholars as students “from traditionally under-represented backgrounds.”
The DOJ said the W&M Law School offers the Lemon Legal Scholars Program. The DOJ said W&M Law offers up to five full scholarships covering tuition and fees that appear to be exclusively for HBCU graduates. William & Mary’s current website, however, says the law school “will award at least five full scholarships” to HBCU graduates admitted to its J.D. program.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division announced it was opening a compliance review for the college’s potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Recipients of this scholarship also receive networking opportunities, one-on-one academic advising regarding course load and bar exam preparation, as well as access to special events with W&M Law School faculty, senior administrators and alumni.
The law school also advertises the “Reaching Back Scholarship,” which is a need-based scholarship that has a “preference” for HBCU graduates or those “who contribute to the diversity” of W&M Law School, the DOJ said.
Some programs at the institution were established to deal with the legacy of slavery and racial discrimination at William & Mary.
The DOJ urged William & Mary to hand over certain documents and information by September 8 as part of the compliance review. The department said it wants to secure compliance by “informal voluntary means” but may take formal action such as proceedings that could result in the termination of federal financial assistance if it deems such a move necessary.
The probe adds to the Trump administration’s targeting of educational institutions across the country. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Responding to the federal probe, William & Mary said in a statement that it is “committed to nondiscriminatory learning environments across our campus and complying with all state and federal laws.”
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division said it had not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation.
This is just the latest effort by the Trump administration to target educational institutions across the nation for issues such as race-based admissions and scholarships, diversity, equity and inclusion programs and alleged antisemitism on campus.