Five U.S. universities are under investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights over concerns that some of their scholarships and programs may discriminate against American-born students and lawful residents.
The institutions involved are:
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University of Louisville
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University of Nebraska Omaha
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University of Miami
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University of Michigan
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Western Michigan University
The investigations will determine whether these schools violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by offering scholarships or programs exclusively to students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status or those who are undocumented.
“Discrimination against American-born students must not be tolerated,” said William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project, which filed the complaints.
Here’s a look at the scholarships under scrutiny:
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University of Louisville: Sagar Patagundi Scholarship supports DACA and undocumented undergraduates.
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University of Nebraska Omaha: Dreamer’s Pathway Scholarship for Nebraska residents who are DACA or DACA-eligible.
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University of Miami: U Dreamers Program for academically qualified DACA and undocumented high school and transfer students.
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University of Michigan: Dreamer Scholarship targets students with undocumented or DACA status.
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Western Michigan University: WMU Undocumented/DACA Scholarship offered to those ineligible for federal aid due to immigration status.
While the University of Michigan and University of Louisville acknowledged receipt of the notification, they declined to comment further. The remaining three universities and the Department of Education have not yet responded publicly.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor emphasized the importance of ensuring American citizens are not excluded from educational opportunities.
“We are expanding our enforcement efforts to protect American students and lawful residents from invidious national origin discrimination of the kind alleged here,” Trainor said, referencing President Trump’s “America First” policy agenda.
In addition to the national origin concerns, the investigations will also examine other scholarships at Louisville, Nebraska Omaha, and Western Michigan that may violate Title VI on the basis of race or color.
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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