Round-up: Education Dept. Letter Declares All Race-Conscious Programing and Financial Aid Illegal

All race-conscious student programming, resources and financial aid were declared illegal over the weekend in a “Dear Colleague” letter issued by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.  Colleges and universities have 14 days to comply with the letter under the threat of investigation and recission of federal funding for any institution that does not comply.

According to Inside Higher Ed:  “Acting assistant secretary for civil rights Craig Trainor outlined a sweeping interpretation of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which struck down affirmative action. While the decision applied specifically to admissions, the Trump administration believes it extends to all race-conscious spending, activities and programming at colleges.”

“In recent years, American educational institutions have discriminated against students on the basis of race, including white and Asian students,” Trainor wrote. “These institutions’ embrace of pervasive and repugnant race-based preferences and other forms of racial discrimination have emanated throughout every facet of academia.”

The letter mentions a wide range of university programs and policies that could be subject to an OCR investigation, including “hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.”

“Put simply, educational institutions may neither separate or segregate students based on race, nor distribute benefits or burdens based on race,” Trainor writes.

Below is coverage of the policy change and guidance letter:

In Sweeping Letter, Ed. Dept. Says SCOTUS Ruling Applies to All Race-Conscious Programs
The Chronicle of Higher Education (February 17, 2025)

Ed Department: DEI Violates Civil Rights Law
Inside Higher Ed (February 17, 2025)

Department of Education Orders End to Race-Based Programs Amid Fierce Pushback
Diverse (February 16, 2025)

DOGE, Education Department Threaten States’ Funding If They Don’t Cut DEI Programs
Politico.com (February 15, 2025)

Education Department Letter Threatens Federal Funding of Any School That Considers Race in Most Aspects of Student Life
CNN.com (February 16, 2025)

Colleges, K-12 Schools Ordered by Trump Administration to Abolish DEI or Face Funding Cuts
Los Angeles Times (February 16, 2025)

Education Dept. Gives Schools Two Weeks to Eliminate Race-Based Programs
The New York Times (February 18, 2025)