Justice Department Launches Investigation to Determine Whether Harvard’s China-Based Financial Aid Programs Discriminate Against American Students

Press Release
Justice Department Launches Investigation to Determine Whether Harvard’s China-Based Financial Aid Programs Discriminate Against American Students
For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today it is opening a compliance review into Harvard University to determine whether its China-based financial aid programs and practices exclude American-citizen students, in violation Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin.
“Every American student should have an equal opportunity to compete for college scholarships, grants, and other kinds of financial aid and benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “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.”
Under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, institutions of higher education, such as Harvard, must self-report gifts and contracts valued at $250,000 or more. Harvard’s disclosures indicate that it is the American university receiving the most funding from foreign sources, having disclosed nearly $4.5 billion in foreign funding. Harvard’s disclosures also confirm that its greatest source of foreign funding comes from sources based in China, which account for more than $630 million.
The Civil Rights Division’s audit of Harvard’s disclosures raised concerns about Harvard’s compliance with Title VI’s antidiscrimination requirements. Specifically, these China-based sources restrict Harvard’s use of their funds and require that Harvard support or establish financial aid programs “with preference given to students from particular countries.”
Harvard appears to be accepting these funds and, in adherence to their restrictions, providing student financial aid to foreign students, presumably Chinese, based on their national origin — to the potential detriment of students of other national origins, including American citizens.
The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation.
The public may inspect Harvard’s disclosures at www.foreignfundinghighered.gov, which is run by the Department of Education.
Note: Read the Department’s Notice Letter here.
Updated July 20, 2026
Topic
Civil Rights
Component