The Trump administration has issued a directive giving America’s schools and universities just two weeks to abolish diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or risk losing federal funding. The ultimatum raises the stakes in President Trump’s ongoing battle against what he describes as “wokeness” in educational institutions.
A memo released by the Education Department on Friday outlines a sweeping demand for educational institutions to cease using “racial preferences” in admissions, financial aid, hiring, and other critical areas. Schools have 14 days to eliminate any practice that treat students or employees differently based on their race or face a major loss of funding.
The memo specifically targets college admissions processes, prohibiting personal essays or writing prompts that could indicate an applicant’s race. It also bans racially exclusive dormitories or graduation events and positions efforts to recruit teachers from underrepresented groups as potential discrimination.
The administration argues these measures are necessary to address what it describes as widespread discrimination against white and Asian students in educational settings. Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights stated:
Schools have been operating on the pretext that selecting students for ‘diversity’ or similar euphemisms is not selecting them based on race. No longer. Students should be assessed according to merit, accomplishment, and character.
As legal justification for this initiative, the memo references the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision that prohibits race as a factor in college admissions. Although that ruling applied solely to admissions, the memo asserts that its principles extend more broadly to all aspects of school operations.
In a related development, the Education Department announced it would cut $600 million in grants to organizations that provide teacher training in concepts deemed “divisive,” such as DEI, critical race theory, and social justice activism.
The memo has triggered a wave of anxiety across the nation’s colleges and universities, prompting officials to evaluate their compliance rapidly. University of Michigan President Santa J. Ono mentioned in a campus letter that leaders are working to comprehend the memo’s implications, citing specific examples such as the prohibition of admissions essays predicting an applicant’s race.
While some institutions, like Oregon State University, have determined that their programs comply with both state and federal laws, others remain uncertain. The memo’s language appears to target scholarships specifically reserved for students from certain racial backgrounds.
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators expressed concern that the two-week deadline is insufficient for schools to respond adequately to the changes. “The last thing students need is uncertainty concerning their financial aid when planning for college,” the group stated.
The confusion around the order was clear to anyone who kept up with the confirmation hearing for education secretary nominee Linda McMahon, When asked whether classes focused on African American history would violate the president’s directive, McMahon admitted that she didn’t know.
For now, the future of DEI initiatives and educational equality remains uncertain. Schools across the nation are left to grapple with the implications of their compliance and the potential repercussions of non-compliance.
