By the authority conferred upon me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby decree:
Section 1. Objective and Policy. In accordance with Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 1011f, institutions of higher education are mandated to disclose significant sources of foreign funding. However, due to a lack of vigorous enforcement of this section, the actual amounts, origins, and purposes of foreign financial inflows to American campuses remain largely obscured. A study conducted from 2010 to 2016 indicated that universities neglected to report more than half of the foreign gifts that were required to be disclosed. Even when such funding is reported, the true sources are often shrouded in secrecy.
To safeguard American educational, cultural, and national security interests, it is essential to promote transparency concerning foreign funds in our higher education and research institutions. During my first term, the Department of Education initiated investigations at 19 campuses between 2019 and 2021, revealing $6.5 billion in previously undisclosed foreign funding. Unfortunately, the preceding administration dismantled this progress, relegating the Department’s specialized investigations into foreign funding to a less competent unit, thereby hampering inquiries and diminishing public access to information on foreign gifts and contracts.
It is the policy of my Administration to eliminate the veil of secrecy surrounding foreign funding in American educational institutions, to shield the marketplace of ideas from foreign government propaganda, and to protect American students and research from potential foreign exploitation.
Sec. 2. Strong Enforcement to Safeguard American Interests. The Secretary of Education (Secretary) shall undertake all necessary actions to enforce the stipulations of Section 1011f of Title 20, United States Code. This will involve collaboration with the Attorney General and relevant executive departments, agencies, and offices to ensure complete and timely disclosures by higher education institutions regarding foreign funding. Specific actions will include:
(a) the Secretary shall take steps to reverse or annul any measures from the previous administration that allow institutions to maintain undue secrecy regarding their foreign funding;
(b) the Secretary shall mandate that universities provide detailed disclosures about foreign funding, including the true sources and intended purposes;
(c) the Secretary shall enhance public access to information about foreign funding in higher education institutions; and
(d) the Secretary and the Attorney General shall hold institutions accountable for non-compliance with legal disclosure requirements concerning foreign funding. To accomplish this, the Secretary will collaborate with heads of other executive departments and agencies to conduct necessary audits and investigations to ensure compliance and seek enforcement through appropriate legal action by the Attorney General.
Sec. 3. Compliance for Federal Funding Recipients. The Secretary of Education, along with the heads of relevant executive departments and agencies, shall take necessary actions to ensure that certification of compliance by higher education institutions with 20 U.S.C. 1011f and any other pertinent foreign funding disclosure requirements is a prerequisite for receiving Federal grant funds. Federal funds will not be granted in instances of non-compliance with 20 U.S.C. 1011f and other applicable foreign funding disclosure obligations.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be interpreted to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to any executive department or agency, or their heads; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget concerning budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be executed in accordance with applicable laws and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any enforceable rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, at law or in equity, for any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other individual.
(d) If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any agency, person, or circumstance, is deemed invalid, the remaining provisions of this order and their application to other agencies, persons, or circumstances shall not be affected.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 23, 2025.
