Minority Student Grant Struck Down by Wisconsin Supreme Court

The Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the state’s Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant Program is unconstitutional, affirming an appeals court decision that the program violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. The grant had provided financial assistance to low-income Black, Native American, Hispanic, or certain Southeast Asian students who arrived in the U.S. after December 31, 1975. The case was brought by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty on behalf of five taxpayers, including a couple who said their son was denied the scholarship because of his race, and the court found the plaintiffs had standing to sue as taxpayers. The Institute’s deputy counsel called the ruling a major win for students and taxpayers, saying it opens the door for taxpayers to challenge other race-based programs in state court, and the decision could have broader implications for race-based scholarships nationwide amid ongoing state and federal DEI restrictions, reports Inside Higher Ed.