Over 50 universities, including the University of Minnesota, are under investigation for alleged racial discrimination as part of former President Donald Trump’s push to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Trump administration officials argue that these initiatives exclude white and Asian American students.
The U.S. Department of Education announced the investigations on Friday, a month after warning schools they could lose federal funding over race-based preferences in admissions, scholarships, or student programs. Education Secretary Linda McMahon emphasized that students should be evaluated on merit rather than race, stating, “We will not yield on this commitment.”
Most of the inquiries focus on universities partnering with the PhD Project, a nonprofit aimed at increasing diversity in business education. Officials claim the organization’s race-based eligibility criteria make its partner schools complicit in exclusionary practices. Schools under scrutiny include public institutions like Arizona State, Ohio State, and Rutgers, as well as private universities such as Yale, Cornell, Duke, and MIT.
Additionally, six schools are being investigated for race-based scholarships, while another faces allegations of racial segregation. Among them are Grand Valley State University, Ithaca College, the University of Alabama, and the University of South Florida. The department did not specify which school is accused of segregation.
This marks the second federal investigation into the University of Minnesota since Trump took office in January. Earlier, the Department of Education launched a probe into the university and four other schools over allegations of antisemitism linked to campus protests against the war in Gaza.
In response, University of Minnesota spokesperson Jake Ricker said the school would fully cooperate with the investigation and regularly reviews its scholarship and program criteria to ensure compliance with federal laws. He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to maintaining an inclusive and discrimination-free environment for all students, faculty, and staff.
