DOJ probes William & Mary scholarships
Analysis based on 10 articles · First reported Aug 17, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026
The investigation adds regulatory and reputational risk for William & Mary, potentially affecting federal funding and enrollment. It also signals continued federal scrutiny of race-conscious admissions and scholarships across U.S. universities, which could impact the higher education sector's compliance costs and legal exposure.
The U.S. Department of Justice opened a civil rights compliance review of the College of William & Mary, alleging that several scholarship and student benefit programs may use race-based criteria in violation of Civil Rights Act of 1964. The DOJ's Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, cited five programs including the W&M Scholars program, the Martha L. Muguira Fellowship, the Holmes Scholars program, the Lemon Legal Scholars Program, and the Reaching Back Scholarship. The university stated it is committed to nondiscriminatory learning environments and is reviewing the information received. This is the third such investigation into a Virginia higher education institution under the Trump administration, following probes at the University of Virginia and George Mason University. The DOJ also recently sued Harvard University for not releasing admissions data. The Pentagon had previously severed ties with William & Mary in March, citing an 'anti-American' agenda.
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