Trending Now - States Challenge Trump Administration Over College Race Policies
WHO:
New York Governor Kathy Hochul
New York Education Department Commissioner Betty A. Rosa
Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF)
Equal Protection Project (EPP)
Cornell law professor William Jacobson
A coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell
President Donald Trump
Education Secretary Linda McMahon
Ellen Keast, Education Department spokesperson
WHAT:
PLF and EPP sent a demand letter to Governor Hochul on March 11th, 2026, urging her to change the eligibility rules of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) to eliminate race as a criterion.
The letter states that if changes are not made by March 25th, 2026, New York could face further legal action.
The CSTEP program is intended to help minority and economically disadvantaged students pursue careers in STEM fields.
The lawsuit was filed on March 11th, 2026, in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts.
The new policy requires colleges to report data on race and sex of applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students, which must be disaggregated by race and sex.
The new policy is similar to settlement agreements negotiated with Brown University and Columbia University, which restored their federal research funding.
The lawsuit was filed on March 11th, 2026.
The data required by the new policy must be retroactively reported for the past seven years.
Ellen Keast stated, “American taxpayers invest over $100 billion into higher education each year and deserve transparency on how their dollars are being spent.”
The lawsuit argues that the new data collection demands jeopardize student privacy, stating, “Many institutions have data protection obligations to their students, which are placed at risk by the Administration’s new IPEDS demands for in-depth information about individual students.”
Filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy
The policy requires higher education institutions to collect data showing they aren’t considering race in admissions
The new policy was ordered by Trump in August 2025
The Supreme Court ruled against the use of affirmative action in admissions in 2023
Data collection is due by March 18, 2026
The National Center for Education Statistics will collect new data, including race and sex of applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students
If colleges fail to submit data, McMahon can take action under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
WHERE:
Lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts
WHEN:
Demand letter sent on March 11th, 2026.
Deadline for Governor Hochul to respond is March 25th, 2026.
Lawsuit filed on March 11th, 2026
Policy ordered in August 2025
Supreme Court ruling in 2023
Data submission deadline is March 18, 2026
WHY:
The groups argue that the CSTEP program's eligibility rules violate the Equal Protection Clause by allowing discrimination against White and Asian students.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell stated, “There is no way for institutions to reasonably deliver accurate data in the federal government’s rushed and arbitrary time frame, and it is unfair for schools to be threatened with fines, potential losses of funding, and baseless investigations should they not fulfill the Administration’s request.”
The plaintiffs argue that the survey is rushed and “leaves institutions vulnerable to inadvertent errors and unreliable data that could lead to cost penalties and baseless investigations into their practices and that jeopardizes student privacy and could lead to individuals being easily identified.”
Concerns raised by Trump about illegal discrimination in college admissions
Campbell stated the policy threatens the well-being of Massachusetts students and the prosperity of colleges and universities
The lawsuit argues the survey is rushed and could lead to errors, penalties, and jeopardize student privacy
HOW:
The demand letter requests that eligibility decisions for CSTEP be based solely on economic disadvantage and "without regard" to race or ethnicity.
The National Center for Education Statistics will collect the new data as part of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
The government uses the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to gather information from colleges and universities
The memo directs McMahon to require colleges to report more data for transparency in admissions
(UPDATED March 12, 2026 23:03 UTC)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul received a demand letter on March 11 from the Pacific Legal Foundation and the Equal Protection Project, urging her to revise the eligibility criteria for the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, or CSTEP, to remove race as a factor. The letter warns that if changes are not made by March 25, New York could face further legal action, as the groups argue the current rules violate the Equal Protection Clause by discriminating against White and Asian students. They are requesting that eligibility decisions for CSTEP be based solely on economic disadvantage and made without regard to race or ethnicity.
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(UPDATED March 12, 2026 13:20 UTC)
A lawsuit was filed in federal court in Boston on March 11, 2026, challenging a new policy that requires colleges to report detailed data on the race and sex of applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell criticized the policy, saying it imposes unreasonable demands on institutions and threatens them with fines and funding losses if they fail to comply. The National Center for Education Statistics will collect this data as part of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, similar to previous agreements made with Brown University and Columbia University that restored their federal research funding.
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(UPDATED March 12, 2026 07:17 UTC)
A lawsuit was filed on March 11, 2026, challenging new data collection requirements that mandate retroactive reporting for the past seven years. Ellen Keast emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that American taxpayers invest over $100 billion into higher education annually and deserve to know how their money is spent. The plaintiffs argue that the rushed survey could compromise student privacy and expose institutions to potential errors, leading to unwarranted investigations and penalties.
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(UPDATED March 12, 2026 05:24 UTC)
A coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general, led by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston challenging a Trump administration policy that mandates higher education institutions to collect data proving they aren't considering race in admissions. The policy, ordered by Trump in August 2025 following a Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in 2023, requires data submission by March 18, 2026, and has raised concerns about potential errors and threats to student privacy. Campbell argues that this rushed survey could harm Massachusetts students and the overall prosperity of colleges and universities.