NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into Harvard University to determine whether some of its financial aid programs, funded by China-based donors, unlawfully discriminate against American students.
The investigation, announced by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division on July 20, follows an audit of Harvard’s foreign funding disclosures. According to the department, Harvard has reported receiving approximately $4.5 billion in foreign funding, including more than $630 million from China-based sources over the years. Investigators are examining whether certain donor agreements required financial aid to be directed toward students from particular countries, potentially violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on national origin at institutions receiving federal funds.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said the investigation is intended to ensure that American students are not excluded from scholarship opportunities because of donor-imposed nationality restrictions.
“Every American student should have an equal opportunity to compete for college scholarships, grants, and other kinds of financial aid and benefits,” Dhillon said in a statement.
She added that colleges receiving federal funds “cannot take federal dollars and then turn around and accept money from foreign sources to give financial aid that deliberately excludes American citizens.”
Harvard denied engaging in unlawful discrimination. A university spokesperson said the institution complies with federal disclosure requirements for foreign gifts and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in awarding financial aid. The university said it is reviewing the government’s allegations.
The investigation marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s broader scrutiny of Harvard, which has also faced federal actions related to admissions practices, campus antisemitism, and international student policies.
