USF investigated for race-based scholarship program

The University of South Florida (USF) is under federal investigation for a scholarship program aimed at supporting Black and Hispanic graduate students. The McKnight Doctoral Fellowship has been in place for 40 years and is also offered by eight other Florida universities, including the University of Central Florida and Florida State University. The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to USF on March 13, stating it received a complaint that the university discriminates based on race through its involvement with the fellowship. The department did not explain why it is only investigating USF, despite several schools having similar programs. This investigation follows a memo issued in February that instructed universities to stop using race as a factor in various areas, including scholarships and admissions. Recently, the Education Department announced that 45 universities were being investigated for connections to an initiative promoting diversity in business education. The McKnight Fellowship supports students with up to $5,000 per semester and an annual stipend of $13,000 for five years. It aims to increase the number of Black and Hispanic faculty in Florida by helping more students earn PhDs. The program has assisted over 1,600 students since its inception. USF officials have stated they will cooperate with the investigation. Other universities, like UCF and FSU, have not received any similar complaints. Meanwhile, some institutions are still promoting the fellowship, with students praising its impact on their academic careers. The Education Department's investigations into USF are part of a broader scrutiny of race-based programs, which has sparked legal challenges from groups concerned about free speech and due process. USF is also dealing with another investigation related to claims of anti-Semitic harassment linked to protests over recent events in Gaza.