The U.S. Department of Education is probing 32 scholarships at Florida State University following allegations of racial and gender discrimination. This federal investigation follows a July 2025 complaint submitted by the Equal Protection Project.
The 32 scholarships under federal scrutiny
The U.S. Department of Education is examining a specific set of financial awards to determine if they violate federal law. According to the report, the investigation centers on 32 scholarships at Florida State University that are accused of promoting preferences based on sex, color, national origin, or race.
The breakdown of the contested awards is precise : 14 scholarships are alleged to discriminate based on race, color, or national origin, while 13 are flagged for sex-based discrimination. An additional five scholarships are accused of discriminating on both the basis of race and sex. The federal government is now determining if these practices violate Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, and Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex.
The Equal Protection Project's 850-program crusade
This investigation is not an isolated incident but part of a systemic campaign by the Equal Protection Project. As the report says, the organization has already challenged more than 850 discriminatory programs and scholarships across more than 290 different colleges and universities.
This broader trend suggests a growing legal movement to scrub identity-based preferences from higher education funding. Notably, the Equal Protection Project has targeted institutions in both "blue states" and "red states," including those that have already implemented strict anti-DEI (diversity,equity, and inclusion) policies. This indicates that the push for "colorblind" scholarship criteria is becoming a national legal standard rather than a regional political preference.
Why 'donor preference' fails the Civil Rights Act test
Florida State University has reportedly attempted to justify the restrictive criteria by citing the "preference of the donor." This argument suggests that because a private individual provided the funds with specific requirements, the university is simply honoring the benefactor's wishes.
However, legal experts and federal guidelines maintain that donor intent does not supersede federal law . Because Florida State University is a public institution,it is bound by the Equal Protection Clause and the Civil Rights Act. The report notes that the university cannot legally administer a discriminatory program simply because the fundinng source requested it, as the act of distributing the funds through a state institution constitutes state action.
Which specific donors funded the contested FSU awards?
Despite the scale of the investigation, several critical details remain missing from the public record. The current report does not name the specific scholarships involved or the donors who established the restrictive criteria, leaving it unclear whether these are legacy endowments or recent contributions.
Furthermore,it remains to be seen how the U.S. Department of Education will penalize Florida State University if violations are found. It is unknown if the university will be forced to rewrite the scholarship terms,return the funds to the donors, or face a reduction in federal funding. The source provides the perspective of the Equal Protection Project and the federal government, but it does not include a direct response or detailed defense from the Florida State University administration beyond the mention of donor preference.
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