The Justice Department is investigating whether Harvard University accepted foreign donations that may have favored students from China and other countries over American students. The department announced on Monday that concerns arose from Harvard's foreign funding disclosures, which suggested that some donors imposed nationality-based restrictions on financial aid. Officials are assessing whether these practices violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on national origin in federally funded institutions.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon stated, "Every American student should have an equal opportunity to compete for college scholarships, grants, and other kinds of financial aid and benefits." She emphasized that accepting federal funds while also taking foreign donations that exclude American citizens could be illegal.
The DOJ noted that some donors from China directed Harvard to allocate funds for aid programs benefiting students from specific countries, which could disadvantage students of other nationalities, including Americans. The review is ongoing, and no specific scholarships or donors have been identified by the DOJ.
Harvard has denied any violations of federal civil rights law, asserting that it complies with legal obligations under Title VI and does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, or national origin in its financial aid allocations.
Federal law mandates that colleges and universities report foreign gifts and contracts exceeding $250,000. According to the DOJ, an audit of these disclosures revealed that Harvard reported nearly $4.5 billion in foreign funding, the highest of any American university, with over $630 million coming from China.
Harvard provides need-based institutional aid to international students, while federal grants are generally limited to eligible U.S. students. Some private donations have been earmarked for students from specific nations, such as a $15 million donation in 2014 from SOHO China co-founders Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin to support Chinese students at Harvard. The DOJ has not confirmed whether this donation is part of its investigation.
This inquiry is part of a broader scrutiny of Harvard by the Trump administration, which has also examined the university for alleged antisemitism, admissions practices, and its treatment of foreign students. A federal judge previously halted the administration's attempt to cut billions in research funding from Harvard amid ongoing litigation.