CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — A Rhode Island-based nonprofit says they have filed a federal civil rights complaint against the University of Northern Iowa, alleging the school discriminated against potential scholarship participants on the basis of race and sex.
The Equal Protection Project (EPP), which is run by the Legal Insurrection Foundation, identified 13 scholarships offered by UNI that allegedly discriminate based on race, sex or both. The nonprofit says six of those scholarships are in violation of Title VI, while five violate Title IX and two violate both.
“Because UNI is a public university, these discriminatory scholarships also violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” the complaint reads.
The 13 scholarships identified by the nonprofit are meant for students of color and female students, as highlighted on the school’s website.
Aside from those commonalities, the scholarships vary greatly. Some include that students major in a certain area, or that they graduate from a high school in Black Hawk County. In addition, some of the scholarships require applicants to be of a certain race or gender, while others simply indicate a “preference.”
“Discrimination is unlawful no matter which race or sex is targeted or benefits. All students are entitled to equal treatment without regard to race or sex,” said William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project.
Lawyers are asking the Office for Civil Rights to investigate the university based on these claims and impose remedial relief if necessary.
“The fact that [UNI] conditions eligibility for multiple scholarships on race, color, national origin and sex violates federal civil rights statutes and constitutional equal protection guarantees,” the complaint reads.
Schools across the country have been forced to reevaluate scholarships for minority students after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in 2023. In Ohio, the University of Toledo paused 73 scholarships for minority students after the ruling. Ohio University also paused the awarding of race-based scholarships in early 2024.
The UNI Scholarship Directory lists a total of 447 “on campus” scholarships available for students.
Between February 2023 and November 2024, the EPP has filed 47 civil rights complaints against universities, school districts and other organizations it believes are enforcing discriminatory practices, its website states.
“We have not received notice from the Office for Civil Rights on this specific matter and will not have comment on a pending legal issue,” Pete Moris, a UNI spokesperson, told Local 5.
Local 5 has reached out to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to verify that the complaint has been submitted and for a statement.
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