Complaint filed against SIUC for racial and sex-based discrimination in scholarships

On April 9, 2025, Defending Education (DE) filed a complaint against Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) with allegations of racial and sex-based discrimination in scholarships and other financial benefits. The complaint claims SIUC violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Defending Education, representing parents and students nationwide, criticized the university for a list of 33 scholarships, awards, and internships based on race and sex. These include the African-American Achievement Scholarship, Black Undergrad Education Scholarship, and Hispanic-American Fund, among others. These programs, according to DE, discriminate based on race or sex, violating federal law.

As per the complaint, "Scholars must be full-time undergraduate students at SIU Carbondale who have completed a minimum of 30 hours (12 at SIUC), have a minimum GPA of 2.7, and a preference that the student be of African American heritage," for the African-American Achievement Scholarship. Similarly, the Hispanic-American Fund prefers students of Hispanic-American heritage.

DE claims that "These programs confer a financial benefit granted expressly and unapologetically on the basis of race," which is claimed to be in violation of Title VI and the Constitution’s 14th Amendment. Furthermore, the complaint references the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admission, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College as a precedent against such discriminatory practices.

The complaint argues that discrimination based on sex similarly violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex-based exclusion from educational programs receiving federal assistance. The complaint urges the Department of Education to investigate and address these alleged violations promptly.