Kane County Reporter

Devin Corbett, chairman of the Aurora Township Republicans, said that President Trump is holding universities like Northwestern accountable by emphasizing student success based on merit and character. Corbett made this statement to the Kane County Reporter on April 14.

"Under the Trump administration, universities like Northwestern are being held accountable to prioritize students' success based on their abilities and achievements, not their race," said Corbett. "These initiatives aim to foster a more fair and inclusive academic environment where every student has an equal chance to succeed. By emphasizing these principles, the administration is shaping a higher education system that values individual merit and diverse ideas. President Trump is helping create more equitable opportunities for all students."

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Trump administration has frozen approximately $790 million in federal funding for Northwestern University amid civil rights investigations, along with more than $1 billion for Cornell University. The suspension affects grants and contracts from multiple federal agencies. Northwestern is under investigation by the Department of Education for alleged widespread antisemitic harassment and is also being scrutinized by Congress over claims that its law school’s legal clinics engaged in political advocacy. The university said it has not received official notification but has fully cooperated with the investigations.

In a March 14 post on its website, the U.S. Department of Education detailed ongoing Title VI investigations into several universities. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has launched probes into 45 institutions over alleged use of racial preferences in graduate programs, six universities for offering race-based scholarships, and one for implementing racially segregated programs. These investigations aim to enforce compliance with the Civil Rights Act, emphasizing that student merit must not be determined by race. Institutions found in violation could face the loss of federal funding.

Corbett, a resident of Aurora, was first elected chairman of the Aurora Township Republican Party in 2024. According to the organization’s website, he is "focused on boosting Republican voter turnout, growing the Party’s membership, and communicating the Party’s positions on issues that matter to Aurora Township voters."