The College Fix

Insurance company Delta Dental works with Midwestern University to offer scholarships that exclude white students. This is ‘not legal’ according to a civil rights activist

A medical school scholarship that excludes white students is “not legal” according to a civil rights activist who regularly calls attention to illegal racial discrimination on college campuses.

Midwestern University and insurance company Delta Dental of Illinois, continue to offer five “Diversity Admissions Scholarships,” which exclude white students.

The scholarships are awarded to “first year incoming CDMI students from underrepresented minority groups,” and are based on criteria such as “academic performance” and “commitment to diversity,” according to a news release from the medical school in Downers Grove, Ill.

“We want to remove barriers to care and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need,” Lora Vitek, executive director of Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation, stated in the news release.

The program helps “create more inclusivity and equity in healthcare access for patients, but also provid[es] opportunities to deserving students who share our mission to improve oral health and create more resilient communities,” Vitek stated.

The College Fix attempted to get in touch with Midwestern University as well as Delta Dental to ask whether there was any concern about the legality of the scholarship, and whether it had been reviewed by an attorney to ensure its legal compliance.

The Fix sent several emails and left a voicemail with Midwestern’s Office of Communications and with Delta’s general inquiries office since Oct. 7.  Neither the university nor the foundation responded.

This is the fourth consecutive year the university has partnered with Delta Dental on the scholarships, according to a “Corporate Social Responsibility Report.”

“Our scholarship programs, immersive training, and educational outreach are designed to break down barriers and cultivate a more inclusive community of dental professionals,” the report reads.

“This initiative directly aligns with our vision of improving health and the overall well-being for our customers and communities we serve.”

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However, the scholarship is legally problematic according to medical reform group Do No Harm.

Senior Fellow Mark Perry told The Fix the program is “not legal.” He filed a Title VI complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

Perry’s complaint addresses the fact that the scholarship is open only to students from “underrepresented minority groups.”

The complaint goes on to provide the Health Resources and Services Administration’s definition of underrepresented minority , pointing out that the term refers specifically to “American Indians, Blacks/African Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Hispanics.”

“Groups that would be unlawfully excluded and discriminated against… would be Whites, Asians, and Middle Eastern/North Africans,” Perry wrote in his complaint.

“Please investigate the University for violating Title VI’s prohibition of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin,” Perry wrote.

Other scholarships have come under legal scrutiny in recent years, as previously covered by The Fix. This includes scholarships at Indiana University, the University of Illinois, the University of Louisville, California Baptist University, and North Central University in Minnesota. The scholarships generally discriminate on the basis of race and/or sex.

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