USF is about to investigate the breed doctoralist's scholarship

The Ministry of Education conducts a federal investigation via USF because of a “racial” doctoral scholarship program, which the agency said that they violate the Civil Rights Act.

The letter sent to USF is aimed at the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program founded in 1984 and draws the African -American and Hispanic doctoral students for financing.

The Ministry of Education said that the program “limits” the access of the students to graduate financing on a racist basis.

A complaint about the program was submitted to the department on March 13, 2023, but the agency informed USF about its intention to advance an investigation by the letter on Friday.

The examination is carried out only one month after the Ministry of Education Wait institutions All over the country against taking into account the breed in approvals, scholarships, living space and other “aspects of life, academic and campus”.

It is part of a wider attempt by the government of President Donald Trump to eliminate the programs at universities and universities, according to the Associated Press.

The USF spokesman Ryan Hughes said the university “checked” the letter issued on Friday.

Hughes said that the university would “work completely” with the investigation and work with state and state governments in order to “comply with all instructions, guidelines and laws”.

“[The] McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program [is] A long -term program that is offered at numerous universities and universities in Florida and is permitted under state law, ”he said.

The scholarship is offered by offers nine Universities in Florida, including Florida State University and the University of Central Florida.

Some USF pages for the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program have been put down, although the link for the program and the application portal via Graduate Studies Fellowships can continue to be accessed.

Related: USF deletes websites with the content

In addition to USF, there were five other universities notified on Friday that they will be examined for participation in participation “Inadmissible breed -based scholarships. “”

Forty-five other schools are also faced with the PH.D project, a non-profit organization that expand and diversified the business pool.

The letter warns USF that the Civil Rights Act has to comply with as an institution that receives federal financing.

USF must extend documents that range from position information to legal reasons for the scholarship to the office of the department for civil rights, according to the letter to civil rights by the end of the month.

The investigation will check whether USF “discriminates against students on the basis of the race” by participating in the USF and/or participating a partnership with the McKnight Doctoraland.

“The pupils must be assessed according to earnings and achievements that have not been biased by the color of their skin,” said Linda McMahon, Minister of Education. “We will not show this obligation.”

Only four days after a letter with 60 universities, including USF, has been warned of anti -Semitic discrimination and harassment.

Related: USF under investigation for anti -Semitic discrimination against federal investigations

Adriana Novoa, a history professor at USF, teaches classes that revolve around gender, breed and culture. Novoa said, “It is not very clear” how the letter will work.

“The problem is that the university can lose [federal] Financing, ”said Novoa. “If you lose financing, the university cannot basically do the work.”

Novoa said that federal financing is not the only loss to which the university could be faced.

While dei is evaluated, breed and gender are sensitive issues that can lead to the effects of the federal government for the university, said Novoa.

“The effect will be that the students will not be able to have it [classes] This goes to these problems because it is threatening [for USF]«, Said Novoa.

General education in Florida has already undergone a round of changes. In autumn 2024, classes around “systemic racism” and “oppression theories” were removed as options for fulfilling the general educational requirements.

Related: USF to remove courses on systemic racism, oppression theories from the General Curriculum

Novoa said the letter limits the university in what you can provide students in her curriculum.

As a result, she said that professors had less freedom in what they teach and extend the students in their classrooms.

“I can't do anything that could be interpreted as racist,” said Novoa.