The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is conducting a formal investigation into Indiana University’s scholarship programs, examining whether the university is in full compliance with federal civil rights laws.
The investigation, initiated through a letter sent to IU President Pamela Whitten on December 12, is focused on whether any of IU’s scholarship programs have discriminated against participants based on race, ethnicity, national origin, or sex - all of which are protected categories under federal law.
In response to the inquiry, IU administrators have instructed faculty and staff involved in scholarship processes across all campuses to preserve a wide range of materials. That includes everything from emails and voicemails to handwritten notes and databases - essentially, any document or record, digital or physical, that could be relevant to the DOJ’s investigation.
The DOJ’s request is extensive. It calls for a full demographic breakdown of the university’s student body, along with detailed data on how scholarships and financial aid have been awarded.
That includes how many scholarships have been distributed, the total amount of funds awarded, and how those numbers break down by sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. The department also wants to see the criteria IU uses to evaluate and select scholarship recipients.
Beyond the numbers, the DOJ is also asking for a deep dive into IU’s internal operations - including policies, agreements, audits, and any communications tied to scholarships that involved race, ethnicity, national origin, or sex as a factor in eligibility or selection. The department is also seeking information on any nondiscrimination training IU has conducted, as well as any complaints, grievances, or appeals filed by students, staff, or third parties in connection to the scholarship process.
IU was given 45 days from the date of the letter to respond, setting a deadline of January 26. At this time, it’s unclear whether the university has responded to the DOJ’s request. IU officials have not commented publicly, and no response has been released.
Internally, IU’s Office of the Vice President and General Counsel has taken steps to ensure compliance with the investigation. Letters have been sent to faculty and staff who may possess relevant records, instructing them not to delete, alter, or destroy any documents related to scholarship administration. The university is also working with its Information Policy Office to preserve emails and electronic documents, though these won’t be accessed unless specifically required for the investigation.
This inquiry comes amid a broader wave of federal oversight of higher education institutions. Under the Trump administration, both the Department of Justice and the Department of Education have launched multiple investigations into universities across the country - covering everything from race-based admissions policies to how schools address antisemitism and the participation of transgender athletes in college sports.
Indiana University has already been on the federal radar. In March of last year, the Department of Education notified IU Bloomington - along with 59 other institutions - that it was investigating allegations of antisemitic harassment and discrimination, with the potential threat of losing federal funding. As of now, there’s no listed resolution to that investigation on the department’s Office of Civil Rights website.
More recently, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, alleging the school failed to disclose data in a separate investigation into race-based admissions. And in July 2025, the DOJ opened a probe into George Mason University over alleged discriminatory practices related to its scholarship programs.
As this latest investigation into Indiana University unfolds, it adds another chapter to the ongoing national conversation about fairness, transparency, and equity in higher education - and how schools navigate the legal and ethical complexities of diversity and inclusion in scholarship distribution.