Justice Department Investigates William & Mary’s Scholarships & Student Benefits For Unlawful Race-Based Criteria

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division announced today that it is opening a compliance review into the College of William & Mary (W&M) to determine whether the school's scholarships and student benefits include racial criteria that violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin.

"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 of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "We will find out if scholarships or other student benefits at William & Mary favor applicants of certain races. The Department will not turn a blind eye to race-based preferences, however they are packaged or portrayed by universities."

The "W&M Scholars" program for first-year undergraduate students includes a scholarship "covering at least the full cost of in-state tuition and fees." Applicants with an "interest in diverse people and perspectives" receive "top consideration."

W&M School of Education (W&M SOE) offers the need-based Martha L. Muguira Fellowship to graduate students and gives a "preference" to Hispanic or Latino women. And the W&M SOE doctoral-level Holmes Scholars program gives "future education leaders of color" mentorship, access to job fairs and position announcements, as well as national-level professional development benefits such as policy/advocacy training and opportunities to present their research.

W&M Law School (W&M Law) offers the Lemon Legal Scholars Program (LLSP), a "multifaceted financial and mentorship opportunity" for graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are admitted to W&M Law's J.D. program. Through LLSP, W&M Law offers up to five full-ride scholarships - covering tuition and fees - which appear exclusively earmarked for HBCU graduates. Recipients also receive networking opportunities, one-on-one academic advising regarding course load and bar exam preparation, and access to special events with W&M Law faculty, senior administrators, and alumni.

W&M Law also advertises the "Reaching Back Scholarship" - a need-based scholarship that has a "preference" for HBCU graduates or those "who contribute to the diversity" of W&M Law.

The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation.

Note: Read the Department's Notice Letter here.