Seventeen Democratic-led states sue to block Education Department’s new college admissions data reporting requirement
The Facts
- Seventeen Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit in Boston federal court challenging the Trump administration’s new requirement for colleges to provide detailed admissions-related data.
- The lawsuit names the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget (and their leaders) as defendants.
- The challenged requirement is tied to a new survey component added to the Education Department’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) reporting.
- The new reporting requires institutions to provide admissions and/or student data broken down by race and sex (and related demographic categories).
- The states argue the new reporting requirement was implemented on a rushed timeline and without proper vetting or required procedures, and that it would impose significant burdens on colleges.
- The states and participating attorneys general say the data demand raises student privacy concerns and could risk disclosure of sensitive information.
- Multiple reports describe a March 18 deadline for schools to submit the requested data.
- The administration has said the data collection is needed to evaluate compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling ending affirmative action in higher education admissions.
Context
What exactly are the states trying to stop?
They are asking a federal court to block the Education Department’s new “Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement” (ACTS) / new IPEDS survey component that would require colleges to compile and submit years of detailed admissions and student data, including demographic breakdowns such as race and sex. Hill WPIX Attorney General
Why does the Trump administration say it needs this data?
The administration has framed the reporting as a way to assess whether colleges are complying with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ended the use of affirmative action in higher education admissions. Reuters Attorney General
What are the states’ main objections?
The states argue the requirement was rolled out too quickly and without proper process, would impose heavy reporting burdens on institutions, and could threaten student privacy by requiring sensitive data to be compiled and reported. Eagle-Tribune Hill Attorney General
The receipts — all 19 sources
Wire services (5)
Independent coverage (14)
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