Tennessee Sues U.S. Education Over Hispanic-Serving College Funding

Tennessee, joined by the conservative group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the U.S. Department of Education's Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) program, which grants funds exclusively to colleges with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment. The lawsuit argues that the program discriminates against other minority groups and even Hispanic students attending institutions that do not meet the arbitrary enrollment threshold, violating both state and federal anti-discrimination laws and the Constitution. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti criticized the program as racially discriminatory and unconstitutional, invoking Supreme Court rulings against race-conscious admissions policies to bolster the complaint. The lawsuit highlights institutions like the University of Memphis, which has a 61% minority enrollment but is excluded from HSI funding due to not meeting the Hispanic-specific quota. Separately, the University of Louisville faces a federal civil rights complaint for offering scholarships restricted to certain racial or ethnic groups, which critics say perpetuates racial discrimination on campuses. These legal actions reflect ongoing challenges to race- and ethnicity-based policies in higher education funding and admissions under the current administration's broader efforts to curb such diversity initiatives.