Exclusive – Civil rights groups have recently lodged a complaint, claiming that the University of Nebraska Omaha is providing scholarships that discriminate against U.S. citizens.
According to Professor William Jacobson from Cornell and founder of the Equal Protection Project, offering scholarships exclusively to DACA or DACA-eligible students discriminates based on national origin. He pointed out that since DACA applies only to individuals born outside the U.S. who meet specific criteria, this restriction creates a situation where students born in America are being prejudiced.
DACA, initiated under former President Barack Obama, was designed to shield young undocumented immigrants from deportation and allow them to work. The complaint asserts that the UNO’s Dreamers’ Route Scholarship Program contravenes Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
The program, as noted on the university’s website, is aimed at “deferred action students” who are Nebraska residents and DACA-eligible, offering comprehensive renewable tuition, fees, and books for periods of up to five or three years, contingent upon graduation from a Nebraska high school.
Jacobson expressed shock at the existence of such targeted scholarships, highlighting how they reflect a troubling trend of integrating diversity and equity initiatives into campus policies. He emphasized the necessity for universities to recognize the inherent value of all students rather than categorize them by identity.
The complaint also mentions that other scholarship programs at UNO likewise infringe upon Title VI by prioritizing underrepresented minority students without proper management standards. It argues that as a public institution, UNO’s administration of these scholarships violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Jacobson mentioned that his organization has initiated lawsuits against roughly 100 institutions, examining over 400 scholarships and programs that they argue are discriminatory.
The University of Nebraska Omaha was reached for comment but did not respond immediately.
