S. 1253 creates a new Office of the Special Inspector General for Unlawful Discrimination in Higher Education within the Department of Education to investigate allegations that colleges are violating civil rights laws in their admissions, financial aid, and academic programs. The Special Inspector General, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, will review complaints from students and college employees, examine whether federal policies inadvertently encourage discrimination, and make recommendations to colleges, the Secretary of Education, and the Attorney General regarding violations of the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The bill authorizes $25 million in funding for this office and requires affected colleges to either address identified deficiencies or certify that no action is necessary, with potential loss of federal student aid eligibility for institutions found to have engaged in race-based discrimination in violation of the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. The office would operate for 12 years before automatically terminating, with the Special Inspector General submitting quarterly reports to Congress on allegations received, violations found, and institutions' compliance efforts.
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