MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seattle University faces federal investigation over scholarship for underrepresented students

Oct 29, 2026, 4:08 PM

seattle university denver west coast conference...

A Seattle University sign at one of the campus' entrances. (Photo courtesy of Seattle University)

(Photo courtesy of Seattle University)

The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday it has formally opened a federal civil rights investigation into Seattle University following a discrimination complaint.

According to the Equal Protection Project, the organization that filed the complaint, the discrimination is that not all students are eligible for scholarships intended for underrepresented students and women of color.

The university is not the only Washington school under the department’s scrutiny. Earlier this year, the department launched an investigation into a Pride display at an elementary school in Bothell, claiming it contained a vial of testosterone.



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Seattle University faces federal investigation over scholarship for underrepresented students