The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday announced that it has opened an investigation into the College of William & Mary (W&M) scholarship and student benefit policies to determine if they include criteria favoring minority applicants. This is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to crack down on diversity and inclusivity initiatives in schools based largely on alleged racial discrimination and transgender policies.
In a letter addressed to the university council at W&M, the DOJ indicated that the investigation is pursuant to a potential violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits any recipient of federal aid from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin. The focus of the investigation is possible racial discrimination in W&M scholarships, financial aid, recruitment, and educational support that provide opportunities to minorities.
“Awarding scholarships or offering coveted opportunities to students based on the color of their skin is illegal and offends the guarantees of our color-blind Constitution,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department will not turn a blind eye to race-based preferences, however they are packaged or portrayed by universities.”
When Title VI was enacted, its main purpose was to prevent federal tax dollars from being given to schools that rebelled against efforts to integrate schools and furthered segregation and discrimination in education. In a post-Jim Crow society, many Black Americans were still facing unequal opportunities or being denied admission into higher education; thus, Title VI was born in an attempt to further diversity in schools by correcting past societal wrongs and providing every individual with the same opportunities.
However, the Trump administration has since used the act against schools that provide some admissions or scholarship benefits solely to people of color and minorities.
Largely at issue in the DOJ’s latest investigation is W&M Law School’s Lemon Legal Scholars Program (LLSP), which awards up to five full scholarships to incoming students who are graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The LLSP was created in part as a way to “rectify wrongs perpetrated against African Americans by William & Mary through action or inaction,” particularly referring to the university’s history of engaging in slave labor and perpetuating segregation during the Jim Crow era. According to the W&M website, the LLSP is one of more than 100 scholarships that students of any background can apply for.
This action by the DOJ closely follows the investigation into five medical schools for similar alleged racial discrimination in admissions, and an investigation into a school district in Maryland over policies regarding lack of disclosure of transgender students’ information to their parents.
The DOJ indicated in its letter that they are requesting student information to be delivered at the beginning of September 2026, some of which may be protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, but which the DOJ is authorized to obtain.
In a statement on the W&M website, the university indicated that they are reviewing the information pertaining to the investigation and is committed to a nondiscriminatory learning environment.