On Wednesday, the Trump administration said that it would investigate five universities over scholarship programs offered to illegal alien children who are Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
The schools involved are the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of Miami, the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University.
“Non-citizens should not be given special preference over American citizens for scholarships at American universities,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a post on X.
Non-citizens should not be given special preference over American citizens for scholarships at American universities.@usedgov opened an investigation into 5 universities for allegedly blocking U.S. students from accessing DACA scholarships.https://t.co/eDU1VrdIVH
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) July 23, 2025
The Department of Education published the complaints surrounding each school (via ED.gov):
According to the complaints, the following scholarships allegedly provide unlawful exclusionary funding based on national origin:
- University of Louisville’s Sagar Patagundi Scholarship to “subsidize the cost of higher education...for undergraduate DACA and undocumented students;”
- University of Nebraska Omaha’s Dreamer’s Pathway Scholarship for “students who are DACA or DACA-eligible and Nebraska residents who are seeking an undergraduate degree;”
- University of Miami’s U Dreamers Program, which “is available to academically talented and admissible [DACA] and undocumented high school seniors and transfer students;”
- University of Michigan’s Dreamer Scholarship, which “is intended to support undocumented students or students with DACA status;” and
- Western Michigan University’s WMU Undocumented/DACA Scholarship “for undergraduate students who are ineligible to receive federal student aid due to an undocumented or DACA status.”
“On January 21, 2025, President Trump promised that ‘every single day of the Trump Administration, [he] will, very simply, put America first.’ Neither the Trump Administration’s America first policies nor the Civil Right Act of 1964’s prohibition on national origin discrimination permit universities to deny our fellow citizens the opportunity to compete for scholarships because they were born in the United States,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement.
“As we mark President Trump’s historic six months back in the White House, we are expanding our enforcement efforts to protect American students and lawful residents from invidious national origin discrimination of the kind alleged here.”
William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project, added, “Protecting equal access to education includes protecting the rights of American-born students. At the Equal Protection Project, we are gratified that the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is acting on our complaints regarding scholarships that excluded American-born students.”
“Discrimination against American-born students must not be tolerated,” he concluded.