New Federal Survey Forces Schools to Hand Over Years of Sensitive Admissions and Student Data as Part of Ongoing Campaign Against DEI
New York Attorney General Letitia James and 16 other attorneys general sued the Trump administration over a sweeping new federal data collection mandate targeting colleges and universities. The lawsuit challenges the U.S. Department of Education’s new “Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement” survey, which forces institutions to rapidly compile and report years of highly detailed admissions and student data, including information broken down by race, gender, income, and academic performance. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the Department of Education rushed the new requirements into effect without complying with the law in an attempt to target diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, placing an unmanageable burden on colleges and universities and creating serious risks to student privacy. The attorneys general are asking the court to block the federal government from forcing institutions to submit the data.
“Once again, this administration is trying to stretch the federal government’s authority to serve its own political agenda and target DEI initiatives,” said Attorney General James. “Colleges and universities should not be forced to turn over massive amounts of sensitive student data to satisfy another witch hunt. We are going to court to stop this unlawful mandate and protect institutions and students across the country.”
For decades, the Department of Education has used the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to collect basic statistical information from colleges and universities. Late last year, the Trump administration abruptly changed that system by creating an entirely new survey that requires schools to report detailed admissions data, purportedly to ensure colleges are not engaging in unlawful “affirmative action” admissions practices. Under the new survey, colleges must collect and report extensive admissions and student data broken down by race and gender, including test scores, grade point averages, family income ranges, financial aid information, and graduation outcomes. The new survey requires colleges and universities to submit up to seven years of historical data, even though schools have never been asked to track these metrics.
The administration has contended that the new survey data will be used to root out so-called unlawful DEI initiatives in higher education, which the administration claims have “been used as a pretext to advance overt and insidious racial discrimination.”
Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the administration pushed through these sweeping changes on an accelerated timeline without properly reviewing the impact on colleges and universities or providing clear guidance about how schools should collect and submit the data. They emphasize that the stakes are dangerously high, as schools that fail to comply could face steep fines or even risk losing access to federal student aid funding. The attorneys general also warn that the unprecedented level of detail required by the survey could expose sensitive student information, particularly in smaller academic programs where such data could make individual students identifiable.
New York’s higher education institutions could face significant burdens under the new mandate. Public university systems like the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY), along with private colleges and universities across the state, could be forced to divert substantial staff time and resources to compiling years of complex admissions data on short notice, all while navigating unclear federal instructions and new reporting systems.
Attorney General James and the coalition assert that the administration’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act. The attorneys general are asking the court to block the federal government from requiring colleges and universities to complete the survey or penalizing institutions that do not comply.
Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington.
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