U of I scrutinized over perceived preference for international students
[October 06, 2025]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – The University of Illinois faces scrutiny over its
Spring 2026 Master’s in Accounting program, with the school saying it’s
open to all students, though legal experts raise potential
discrimination concerns.
Screenshots of the Master’s in Accounting program website suggested
priority for international students, particularly from India. The
university told The Center Square the program “is and has always been
open to all students, both domestic and international.”
Brandon Smith, a partner at Holtzman Vogel and former chief of staff to
the Tennessee Attorney General, said public universities cannot lawfully
give admissions preference based on nationality.
“Universities, public or private, cannot restrict admissions,
scholarship aid, or other forms of benefits based on race or ethnicity,”
said Smith. “To do so is to violate core tenets of both state and
federal civil rights laws.”
The university recently updated language on its website. Screenshots
captured by web.archive.org suggest the spring program was open only to
applicants with undergraduate degrees from non-U.S. institutions.
“Applicants are eligible to apply for either Spring or Summer 2026 if
they meet the following criteria: 1) Hold or will complete an
undergraduate accounting degree at a university outside of the United
States 2) Have a certification from the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of India,” the website previously stated. “All other
applicants should apply for Summer 2026.”
In a statement to The Center Square, the university explained that most
students begin the 12-month program in June, but students who earned
accounting degrees outside the U.S. have the option to start in January.
These students begin with electives in the spring semester and then
complete the full program from January to December.
Addressing references to India, the university said the original webpage
was intended to show options, not restrictions.
“The bullet points listed on the webpage were intended as an ‘or’
statement, not an ‘and’ statement,” the school said. “It applied to
students certified in India or any student who earned an undergraduate
degree outside the U.S. We have since clarified the language on our
webpage.”
Smith said if the spring program was open only to applicants with
undergraduate degrees from non-U.S. institutions, the program could face
scrutiny under federal civil rights law.
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“To the extent that the master’s program restricts admissions or
participation based on race or national origin, they’re violating
the law,” Smith said. “It doesn’t matter how well-intentioned a
program is—if eligibility is restricted by race, ethnicity, or
national origin, it’s unlawful.”
Reilly Stephens, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center,
emphasized that because the University of Illinois is a
taxpayer-funded institution, he said, it must follow constitutional
and federal restrictions on discrimination.
“Public institutions, and the University of Illinois is a publicly
funded institution, are subject to constitutional restraints on
things like racial discrimination and affirmative action, and those
things apply because of the Equal Protection Clause of the federal
Constitution,” Riley said. “That doesn’t apply to a private
university. The trick is that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964 also applies to institutions that take federal funds, so
virtually every university in the country is bound by those same
rules as a condition of receiving federal money.”
In Kleinschmit v. University of Illinois Chicago, Professor Stephen
Kleinschmit alleges that the university terminated his contract in
August 2023 after he raised concerns about its racially
discriminatory hiring practices, violating his constitutional rights
under the Equal Protection Clause and leading to a lawsuit filed by
the Liberty Justice Center.
"This is a culture that’s rotten to the core with discrimination,
bias, and ideological capture,” said Stephens.
Smith explained universities may recruit international students for
tuition revenue, but “it’s illegal to grant benefits, including
admissions, based on race or ethnicity.”
“What’s not normal, and what is, in fact, illegal, is providing any
benefit, including admissions, program opportunities, or
scholarships and financial aid, based on race or ethnicity. To do so
is a violation of the law,” said Smith.
If a domestic applicant felt disadvantaged, Smith said they would
have legal options.
“They could just file direct civil rights lawsuits against the
university,” said Smith.
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