Investigations & Accountability
The Justice Department opened a Title VI compliance review into scholarships and student programs at the College of William & Mary on Monday. The Civil Rights Division’s notice identifies several programs it says may use race-linked eligibility or preferences, including scholarships connected to historically Black colleges and a graduate fellowship described as preferring Hispanic or Latino women. Investigators asked the public university in Williamsburg, Virginia, to provide documents and information by September 8.
A review is not a finding. DOJ said it has reached no conclusion about whether the school violated federal law. Title VI bars discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance. The department can seek voluntary compliance and, after required procedures, pursue formal remedies. The letter starts an evidence-gathering process; it does not cancel aid, adjudicate liability or prove that every named program operates exactly as a website description suggests.
The mud is in the criteria. William & Mary’s public descriptions say its W&M Scholars program considers academic ability, first-generation or limited-income status and interest in diverse people and perspectives. The Lemon Legal Scholars Program offers full scholarships to admitted graduates of historically Black colleges. Other education-school programs describe support for students from underrepresented backgrounds. Investigators must determine whether those words translate into classifications prohibited by Title VI, race-neutral recruitment, or eligibility tied to institutions and experience rather than an applicant’s race.
William & Mary responded that it is committed to nondiscriminatory learning environments and compliance with state and federal law. That statement is relevant, but it is not a substitute for the requested records. The accountability trail should include written eligibility rules, applicant and recipient data, reviewer instructions, scoring rubrics, donor restrictions and any changes made after the Supreme Court’s 2023 admissions decisions. Those materials can show whether public descriptions match actual selection practice.
Fox News originated the current item, so I checked the operative facts against the university’s program pages, Title VI and the department’s quoted notice. Confirmed: the review exists, specified programs are in scope and a September 8 deadline was set. Unresolved: whether any applicant was treated unlawfully or whether the programs can be administered through lawful race-neutral criteria. Do not turn a notice letter into a conviction. The next story is in the documents William & Mary produces and the written findings DOJ may issue. That is where the lantern belongs. Enrollment, discipline and program records will determine whether the allegation survives review.
Sources
- Fox News Digital — DOJ opens probe into prestigious college over alleged discrimination favoring minority students (08-18-2026)
- William & Mary — W&M Scholars Undergraduate Admission Program (08-18-2026)
- U.S. Department of Education — Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (08-18-2026)