The Trump administration has initiated a federal civil rights investigation into Florida State University (FSU) concerning 32 scholarships accused of discriminating against students based on race or sex, according to a Department of Education (DOE) letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

The DOE's Office for Civil Rights will examine whether FSU violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin, and whether it violated Title IX by discriminating based on sex. This investigation follows a complaint filed in July 2025 by the Equal Protection Project (EPP) targeting these scholarships.

Among the scholarships cited are the Crossman Career Builders Scholarship, which specifies a donor preference for a female recipient who is Black or African American, Hispanic, or a member of the Seminole Tribe, and the Disciples of the Diamond Spring 81 Scholarship, which prefers an African American male recipient.

William Jacobson, founder and president of the EPP and a Cornell Law professor, told Fox News Digital that FSU stands out for having one of the largest contingents of such scholarships among over 290 colleges and universities challenged by the organization. He noted, "Florida State, surprisingly, has one of the largest contingencies of discriminatory scholarships that we've seen anywhere."

FSU responded by stating that the scholarships are funded entirely through private donations, not institutional funds, and that all applicants are "evaluated equally based on merit," with no student disqualified or given an unfair advantage due to donor preferences. The university also emphasized that all FSU students are eligible to apply for and receive the scholarships listed.

The DOE letter confirms that FSU receives federal financial assistance and must comply with Title VI and Title IX requirements.

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