The Justice Department is investigating whether Harvard University accepted foreign donations that may have favored students from China and other nations over American students.
On Monday, the department expressed concerns about Harvard’s foreign-funding disclosures, suggesting that some donors might have imposed nationality-based restrictions on financial aid. The officials are assessing if these conditions violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on national origin by institutions receiving federal funding.
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 further emphasized, “Schools cannot take federal dollars and then turn around and accept money from foreign sources to give financial aid that deliberately excludes American citizens — doing so is illegal, and we will stop it wherever we find it.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that some China-based donors directed Harvard to allocate their funds for aid programs specifically benefiting students from certain countries. The department claims that adhering to these restrictions could disadvantage other nationalities, including American students.
Officials clarified that the investigation is ongoing and no conclusions have been reached yet. The DOJ has also not disclosed the specific scholarships or donors under consideration.
Harvard has denied any violation of federal civil rights law in its financial aid policies.
The university stated, “Harvard follows the law for required reporting of donations and, consistent with our legal obligations under Title VI, does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in allocating financial aid.”
According to federal law, colleges and universities must report foreign gifts and contracts exceeding $250,000. The DOJ noted that a Civil Rights Division audit revealed Harvard reported nearly $4.5 billion in foreign funding, more than any other U.S. university, with over $630 million coming from China, its largest foreign source.
Harvard offers need-based institutional aid to international students, while federal grants and other government aid are generally limited to eligible U.S. students. The university also provides support to international students through private scholarship and employment funds.
Some private donations have been earmarked for students from specific countries. In 2014, Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin, co-founders of SOHO China, donated $15 million to support Chinese students at Harvard. The DOJ has not confirmed whether this donation is included in its review.
This inquiry is part of the Trump administration’s broader scrutiny of Harvard, which has also faced investigations regarding alleged antisemitism, admission practices, and treatment of foreign students.
Previously, a federal judge blocked the administration from cutting billions in research funding from Harvard as related litigation continues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
