(This article has been updated with a statement from Montana State University in response to the investigation.)BOZEMAN The U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced on Friday that it has opened inve stigations into 45 universities, including Montana State University, for allegedly limiting graduate program eligibility based on race, which OCR says violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.According to a Department of Education press release, OCR issued a Dear Colleague letter on Feb. 14, 2025 that reiterated schools civil rights obligations to end the use of racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities.Watch the story here: Montana State University among 45 universities accused of violating the Civil Rights ActThe universities under investigation are accused of partnering with The PhD Project, which OCR says purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants."U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated in the release: The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination. The agency has already launched Title VI investigations into institutions where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported and Title IX investigations into entities which allegedly continue to allow sex discrimination; todays announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes. Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment.Following is a list of the schools under investigation for allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs, according to the press release: Arizona State University Main Campus   Boise State University   Cal Poly Humboldt   California State University San Bernadino   Carnegie Mellon University   Clemson University   Cornell University   Duke University   Emory University   George Mason University   Georgetown University   Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)   Montana State University - Bozeman    New York University (NYU)   Rice University   Rutgers University   The Ohio State University Main Campus   Towson University   Tulane University   University of Arkansas Fayetteville    University of California-Berkeley   University of Chicago   University of Cincinnati Main Campus   University of Colorado  Colorado Springs University of Delaware   University of Kansas   University of Kentucky   University of Michigan-Ann Arbor  University of Minnesota-Twin Cities   University of Nebraska at Omaha   University of New Mexico Main Campus   University of North Dakota Main Campus   University of North Texas Denton    University of Notre Dame   University of NV Las Vegas   University of Oregon   University of Rhode Island   University of Utah   University of Washington-Seattle   University of Wisconsin-Madison   University of Wyoming   Vanderbilt University   Washington State University  Washington University in St. Louis Yale University The release said OCR is also investigating seven additional universities, six for allegedly awarding impermissible race-based scholarships, and one for allegedly administering a program that segregates students on the basis of race.Those universities are: Grand Valley State University    Ithaca College   New England College of Optometry    University of Alabama   University of Minnesota, Twin Cities  University of South Florida   University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Community MedicineThe Department of Education said in the release that the OCR investigations are being conducted pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in education programs and activities receiving federal funding.WATCH RELATED: 20 attorneys general file lawsuit to block Trump's Education Department cuts 20 attorneys general file lawsuit to block Trump's Education Department cutsThe release said universities can lose federal funding due to violations of Title VI.Montana State University said in an extended response to MTN's request for comment that the university "strictly adheres to all federal and state laws in the hiring of its faculty and staff." The full response from MSU Vice President for Communications Tracy Ellig is below.Full statement from MSU Vice President for Communications Tracy Ellig:Montana State University is surprised by the notice it received from the U.S. Department of Education.MSU's strictly adheres to all federal and state laws in the hiring of its faculty and staff. Indeed, the following statement is one of the first thing job applicants encounter when seeking a job at MSU:"Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law. In compliance with the Montana Veterans Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans." (See: https://jobs.montana.edu/ [jobs.montana.edu])Montana State University strictly adheres to all applicable laws with regard to its students. MSU has well-established processes and procedures in place to investigate any claim of discrimination by students, faculty, staff or the public.MSU is unaware of any complaint made internally with regards to the PhD Project.The PhD Project is a non-governmental organization with a focus on business doctoral degrees. In 2024, a staff member signed the university up at a cost of $3,000 for the purposes of having unlimited access to the organization's national job posting list. It was used to expand the reach of our job postings, in addition to other similarly-situated outlets that are used to post job openings. (For context, a single, basic, national job posting in the Chronicle of Higher Education is advertised at $435. See: https://hire.chronicle.com/pricing/#:~:text=Basic%20Job%20Posting%20%24435,your%20ad's%20visibility%20in%20searchesOur access to the PhD Project job listing site did not change any of our recruitment nor hiring practices in any way, which are described above.The university will fully cooperate with the U.S. Department of Education and implement any findings it may make with regards to this issue. ...read more read less