At least 31 universities are severing their partnerships with an organization that the Trump administration has accused of illegal racial discrimination in Ph.D. programs.
The Department of Education (ED) opened investigations into 45 universities in March 2025 over their partnership with ‘The Ph.D. Project,’ which ED said limits eligibility based on race. Now, Yale, New York University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Michigan and more than 25 other schools have signed the Department’s resolution agreeing to cut ties with the program. The investigation into the 14 remaining universities will continue, a Thursday press release states.
“This is the Trump effect in action: institutions of higher education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “We are hopeful that other institutions with similarly discriminatory practices will follow suit, paving the way for a future where we reject judging individuals by the color of their skin and once again embrace the principles of merit, excellence, and opportunity.”
McMahon previously stated the intention of the investigations were to ensure students are “assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin.”
In February 2025, ED sent a letter to universities reminding them they are bound by civil rights law and may not discriminate based on race, color or national origin, threatening federal funding of those caught continuing discriminatory practices. A court later blocked the department from enforcing the letter after a lawsuit challenged it for being “legally flawed.”
While ED’s original investigations were initiated citing the letter before it was invalidated, the department was able to continue pursuing the investigations based on civil rights law that prohibits racial discrimination.
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