(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a compliance review of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., over its scholarship and student benefits racial criteria and whether it violates Title VI under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin. The DOJ noted that the Constitution is colorblind and that colleges and universities should base no scholarship or benefits on any student’s race or national origin.

“Awarding scholarships or offering coveted opportunities to students based on the color of their skin is illegal and offends the guarantees of our color-blind Constitution,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, in a statement.

The Center Square reached out to the DOJ about the next steps if the review finds a violation, but did not receive a response.

The DOJ sent a letter to the College of William & Mary on Monday, putting the Virginia university on notice.

The Center Square reached out to the College of William & Mary for a comment, but was directed to its website, where the school said in a statement that it is “committed to nondiscriminatory learning environments across our campus and complying with all state and federal laws.”

The College of William & Mary said it’s reviewing the DOJ’s letter and does not comment on pending legal matters.

The university holds an overall acceptance rate of 34%, and total direct costs for out-of-state undergraduate students for the 2026-27 school year are $71,895. For in-state tuition, direct costs are $44,881.

There are three scholarship programs that the DOJ is reviewing.

One is the W&M Scholars for first-year undergraduate students, which can cover up to the cost of in-state tuition and fees. The DOJ notes that the program considers applicants with an “interest in diverse people and perspectives.”

W&M School of Education offers the need-based Martha L. Muguira Fellowship to graduate students, which the DOJ says gives “preference” to Hispanic or Latino women.

“Preference is given to Hispanic or Latino women who have financial need. If there are no qualifying students in the School of Education, the fellowship should be given to a student in the College of Arts & Sciences, with a preference given to Hispanic or Latino women with financial need,” the fellowship application states. It includes a box to select whether the applicant is Hispanic or Latino.

The College of William & Mary Law School offers the Lemon Legal Scholars Program, which is for graduates of historically Black colleges and universities who are accepted into W&M Law’s doctor of jurisprudence classes. The program offers up to five full-ride scholarships. HBCU graduates will be automatically considered for the Lemon Program and will be exclusively granted the scholarship.

This post was originally published on The Center Square.