The federal government may be “shut” but our Equal Protection Project (EqualProtect.org) is chugging along filing federal civil rights complaints. We have received acknowledgements of the filings, but no action can be taken until the proverbial lights come back on. We want to be first in line once staffing resumes.In total, EPP has challenged over 550 discriminatory programs and scholarships at over 120 colleges and universities. So far in November 2025 we have filed three civil rights complaints, including our latest filed on November 7, 2025, against the University of California, Los Angeles, regarding 13 discriminatory scholarships.From the Civil Rights Complaint:
We bring this civil rights complaint against the University of California, Los Angeles (“UCLA”), for offering, administering, and promoting thirteen (13) scholarships that discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, and/or sex in violation of Title VI and Title IX, respectively.UCLA offers a wide range of scholarships for both admitted and current students.2 All applicants must sign in using their “MyUCLA” login credentials. Most scholarships use a single application that allows students to be considered for multiple awards.
We then detail each of the scholarships at issue, with the discriminatory eligibility language highlighted. Here’s a sample.
I. SCHOLARSHIPS THAT VIOLATE TITLE VI (8)1. Dr. Bertram L. Ashe UBAA Alumni ScholarshipLink:https://ucla.academicworks.com/opportunities/114528#:~:text=UCLA%20Alumni%20Scholarships%20Program%20in,Financial%20Aid%20%26%20Scholarships%20OfficeArchived Link: https://archive.ph/wip/yvLyVDiscriminatory Requirement: “Preference shall be given to students who self- identify as part of the African American community…”2. UCLA Latino Alumni Association Endowed Alumni ScholarshipLink:https://ucla.academicworks.com/opportunities/114608#:~:text=The%20UCLA%20Latino%20Alumni%20Association,LatinX%20freshmen%20and%20transfer%20students Archived Link: https://archive.ph/wip/7MfcGDiscriminatory Requirement: “The UCLA Latino Alumni Association Endowed Alumni Scholarship was established in 1999 by the UCLA Latino Alumni Association for incoming LatinX freshmen and transfer students.”4. Pilipino Alumni Association Alumni ScholarshipLink:https://ucla.academicworks.com/opportunities/117538#:~:text=The%20Pilipino%20Alumni%20Association%20Scholarship,membership%20in%20the%20Pilipinx%20communityArchived Link: https://archive.ph/wip/VDYZ9Discriminatory Requirement: “The Pilipino Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment was established in 2005 by The UCLA Pilipino Alumni Network for incoming transfer students who indicate their support, involvement, self-identification, or membership in the Pilipinx community.”6
6 This scholarship and certain others violate Title VI because members of a racial or ethnic group automatically are eligible, whereas members of other racial or ethnic groups have to prove additional factors.
6. UCLA Undocumented Alumni Association Scholarship
Link:
https://ucla.academicworks.com/opportunities/119883#:~:text=The%20UCLA%20Undocumented%20Alumni%20Association,through%20the%20Alumni%20Scholarships%20Program
Archived Link: https://archive.ph/wip/8AqUK
Discriminatory Requirement: “The UCLA Undocumented Alumni Association Scholarship fund was established in May 2019 to award scholarships through the UCLA Office of Financial Aid to undocumented undergraduate students under current law through the Alumni Scholarships Program.”77 Scholarships open only to “undocumented” students discriminate against American-born students, a form of national origin discrimination. https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-opens-investigations-five-universities-alleged-exclusionary-scholarships-benefitting-illegal-alien-students.
Fox News covered the filing:
Cornell Law professor William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project, has filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights office accusing the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) of running more than a dozen scholarships that exclude students based on race, sex or national origin.The 13 programs named in the complaint include awards limited to “LatinX” freshmen, “Pilipinx” students, “undocumented undergraduates,” and female-only applicants. The filing claims those criteria violate Title VI and Title IX of federal civil-rights law, which bar discrimination by federally funded schools.”That race- and sex-based discriminatory scholarships exist at a major and highly visible public university is shocking,” Jacobson told Fox News Digital. “UCLA should know better than to run scholarships or programs that treat students differently based on race, color, national origin, or sex.”The UCLA Latino Alumni Association scholarship states it was created for “incoming LatinX freshmen and transfer students,” while a Pilipino Alumni Association award is for students “who indicate their membership in the Pilipinx community.” The Undocumented Alumni Association Scholarship restricts eligibility to undocumented students, and the Raza Women’s Alumni Scholarship gives preference to “incoming Latina freshmen and transfer students.”That language stands in contrast to remarks by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said earlier this year that “no one says Latinx.” Despite the governor’s disavowal of the term, UCLA, part of the UC system he oversees, still uses “LatinX” as an official eligibility label in a taxpayer-funded scholarship.Other programs cited include two scholarships for students of Armenian descent and a Deloitte Foundation award that supports “meritorious female students.” The complaint argues that UCLA’s use of racial or sex-based criteria “violates federal law and the university’s own nondiscrimination policies.”
Fox News linked to this video about Gov. Gavin Newsom saying “Latinx” is not something that is used.
That language stands in contrast to remarks by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said earlier this year that “no one says Latinx.” Despite the governor’s disavowal of the term, UCLA, part of the UC system he oversees, still uses “LatinX” as an official eligibility label in a taxpayer-funded scholarship.
Reminder: we are a small organization going up against powerful and wealthy government and private institutions devoted to DEI discrimination. Donations are greatly needed and appreciated.
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