HR2583-119

What This Bill Does

The College Admissions Accountability Act responds to Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and title VI race-discrimination concerns in higher education. It creates an Office of the Special Inspector General for Unlawful Discrimination in Higher Education within the Department of Education. The President appoints the Special Inspector General with Senate confirmation based on integrity and experience in higher education, admissions, auditing, civil rights, law, academic administration, education regulation, or investigations. The office receives, reviews, and investigates allegations from applicants, students, or employees of covered institutions that admissions decisions, admissions policies, admissions practices, financial aid determinations, or academic programs violate the Equal Protection Clause or title VI; reviews federal policies that incentivize violations; recommends corrective actions, discipline, student-aid eligibility changes, further investigations, and reforms; protects complainant confidentiality; hires officers, employees, experts, consultants, and contractors; reports quarterly to Congress; is funded with $25 million until expended; joins CIGIE; requires covered institutions to correct deficiencies or certify no action is necessary; and sunsets after 12 years. The bill also adds a Higher Education Act rule making any institution of higher education ineligible for federal student assistance or institutional aid if the Secretary determines that admissions, financial-aid, or academic-program decisions discriminate on the basis of race in violation of the Equal Protection Clause or title VI.

Who Benefits and How

Applicants alleging race discrimination benefit because a dedicated Special Inspector General can receive, review, and investigate admissions, financial-aid, and academic-program allegations. Students at covered institutions benefit from confidentiality protections and a federal investigative channel tied to Equal Protection Clause and title VI compliance. Civil rights enforcement attorneys benefit from quarterly reports, institution-by-institution data, and recommendations for corrective actions or further investigations. Taxpayers funding student aid benefit if institutions that violate race-discrimination rules can lose eligibility for federal student assistance or institutional aid.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Federally funded colleges must respond to Special Inspector General investigations, provide cooperation, remedy deficiencies, or certify why no action is appropriate. Admissions offices must review policies, practices, application essays, financial aid determinations, and academic programs for compliance with Students for Fair Admissions and title VI. The Department of Education must host the new office, support appointment and operations, and enforce ineligibility determinations. The Special Inspector General must build systems, protect complainant confidentiality, hire staff, manage contracts, report quarterly, and sunset after 12 years.

Key Provisions

• Creates a Department of Education Special Inspector General for Unlawful Discrimination in Higher Education.
• Authorizes $25 million until expended for investigations, reports, staff, consultants, contracts, and office operations.
• Requires review of allegations involving admissions, financial aid, academic programs, Equal Protection Clause violations, and title VI violations.
• Requires quarterly congressional reports and covered-institution corrective responses to identified deficiencies.
• Prohibits federal student assistance or institutional aid eligibility for institutions found to have race-discriminatory admissions, aid, or academic practices.