Civil Rights Organization Challenges Discriminatory Scholarships for DACA Students at University of Nebraska Omaha

Civil Rights Organization Challenges Discriminatory Scholarships for DACA Students at University of Nebraska Omaha

EXCLUSIVE – A civil rights organization has filed a complaint alleging that the University of Nebraska Omaha offers scholarships that unfairly discriminate against American citizens. This assertion has significant implications for both educational equity and legal compliance.

"Providing a scholarship limited to DACA or DACA-eligible students constitutes national origin discrimination," stated William Jacobson, a Cornell professor and founder of the Equal Protection Project. He shared this perspective with Fox News Digital.

He further elaborated that DACA primarily benefits individuals born outside the United States who meet specific criteria. Therefore, restricting scholarship eligibility to DACA recipients may breach Title VI regulations, which protect against discrimination based on national origin. According to Jacobson, the primary victims of this alleged discrimination are American-born students.

Understanding DACA and Its Implications

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was established by former President Barack Obama. This program aims to provide temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. DACA has since become a highly debated topic in the realms of immigration policy and education.

The complaint under scrutiny was filed on Wednesday. The Equal Protection Project contends that the Dreamer’s Pathway Scholarship Program at the University of Nebraska Omaha violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits educational institutions receiving federal funding from discriminating based on race, color, or national origin.

The Details of the Allegations

According to information available on the university’s website, the scholarship targets students who are DACA recipients or DACA-eligible residents of Nebraska pursuing undergraduate degrees at UNO. Recipients of this scholarship may benefit from full tuition, fees, and book costs for up to five years or three years for transfer students. Moreover, one requirement for applicants is that they must have graduated from a high school in Nebraska.

Jacobson expressed deep concern regarding the existence of what he termed race- and national-origin-based discriminatory scholarships at a significant public university. He indicated that this reflects a troubling trend where concepts such as Critical Race Theory and initiatives for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion permeate campus culture. Jacobson called for higher education institutions to prioritize the intrinsic worth and dignity of every student, rather than classifying them based on identity.

Further Examination of Scholarship Practices

The complaint also addresses the HDR scholarships at UNO, asserting that these programs violate Title VI. The university’s stated preference for underrepresented minority students, while not the sole determining factor, raises questions about fairness in awarding scholarships.

The legal challenges posed by this complaint raise critical discussions about equal protection under the law. The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment mandates that public institutions treat all individuals equally. The complaint cites a recent Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, which emphasizes that eliminating racial discrimination requires addressing all forms of it. Differentiated standards for individuals based on color or origin complicate the principle of equal protection.

Wider Implications for Higher Education

Jacobson, in his conversation with Fox News Digital, indicated that the Equal Protection Project has filed cases against approximately 100 educational institutions. This includes challenges to over 400 scholarships and programs that they deem discriminatory. The ongoing efforts of this organization shine a light on potential disparities in scholarship systems across universities.

As the discourse surrounding discrimination in scholarship offerings evolves, this situation at the University of Nebraska Omaha could serve as a pivotal case influencing future policies. The educational landscape is constantly changing, and institutions are called to reevaluate their financing practices to ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws.

Call for Reconsideration – The Equal Protection Project aims to draw attention to what it perceives as inequities within scholarship allocation. The organization argues that when public universities impose restrictions based on factors such as national origin, they not only risk losing federal funding but also undermine the foundational principles of equality in education.

Fox News Digital reached out to the University of Nebraska Omaha for a comment on these allegations but has yet to receive a response.