Complaints filed by women athletes may help tie the score on the amount of scholarship money awarded to both men and women, thanks to the efforts of the National Women’s Law Center and an inquiry by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The OCR recently contacted the 25 universities across the country that are under investigation as a result of complaints filed on behalf of young women who say they were denied equal athletic scholarships, which are guaranteed under Title IX. The complainants said they were awarded $1,000 less per year in scholarships than male athletes at the same schools.
“Our filing called national attention to a big problem,” says Neena Chaudhry, an attorney at the center.
Under the 1994 Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, schools must provide complete information on the numbers of teams, players and a breakdown in scholarship dollars to any person who requests it. Anyone can lodge a complaint with the OCR based on that information. Following an investigation and a period for compliance, OCR can terminate federal funds to the school.
