The Justice Department has opened a Title VI compliance review of William & Mary that could affect scholarships and student support programs. The review matters now because the university must provide requested records by September 8, 2026.
Key Facts
- DOJ opened the administrative investigation on August 17, 2026.
- The review covers possible race discrimination in scholarships, financial aid, recruitment and educational support.
- DOJ has reached no conclusion that William & Mary violated federal law.
- The university’s requested production was not yet due as of August 20.
What DOJ is reviewing
The Civil Rights Division is examining whether university programs use racial criteria that violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Title VI bars race, color and national-origin discrimination in programs receiving federal financial assistance.
DOJ identified programs at the university, its School of Education and its law school as subjects of the review. The initial scope includes scholarships, financial aid, recruitment practices and educational support.
The notice raises concerns about several named programs, but those concerns are the department’s investigative position. They are not established findings about how every program operates or whether any program is unlawful.
What the university’s pages show
William & Mary’s W&M Scholars page says all first-year applicants receive automatic consideration. It lists academic ability, first-generation or limited-income status, and interest in diverse people and perspectives among the main considerations.
The award covers at least the cost of in-state tuition and standard fees. The page does not state that applicants must belong to a particular racial group.
The law school’s Lemon Legal Scholars Program offers at least five full tuition-and-fee scholarships to admitted graduates of historically Black colleges and universities. Its page says those graduates receive automatic consideration, while an HBCU degree is one of several listed factors.
What the review does not decide
A compliance review is an administrative investigation, not a lawsuit, criminal charge or ruling. DOJ expressly stated that it has not reached a conclusion about whether William & Mary violated Title VI.
The opening notice does not suspend or terminate federal funding.
If DOJ finds no violation, its notice says the department will close the investigation. If it finds a violation, DOJ would first seek voluntary compliance.
Only if voluntary compliance fails could the department consider later funding proceedings or civil litigation. Those possible steps remain contingent and have not begun in this matter.
What happens next
DOJ asked William & Mary to provide responsive records by September 8. The notice instructed the university to raise concerns about meeting that deadline by August 31.
The September 8 date is an agency production deadline, not a court deadline. It remained in the future as of August 20, leaving the review at its evidence-gathering stage.
