The Justice Department announced a compliance review Monday targeting Harvard University’s handling of China-based financial aid programs. Officials stated that Chinese donors have provided funds to create scholarships restricted to students from specific countries, which the department characterizes as potential discrimination based on national origin in violation of civil rights law.
Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, stated that educational institutions cannot accept federal funding while simultaneously using foreign donations for aid programs that deliberately exclude American citizens. The department emphasized it has not reached any conclusions but cited federal disclosures showing Harvard has accepted $630 million from Chinese sources over multiple decades, as part of approximately $4.5 billion in total foreign funding.
Harvard responded by affirming its compliance with applicable law and stating it does not unlawfully discriminate in financial aid allocation based on race, ethnicity, or national origin. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington noted that education cooperation between the nations is mutually beneficial and urged that academic exchange not be disrupted for political purposes. The university noted that unlike most American institutions, it provides need-based scholarships to international students alongside those for domestic students, and receives funding from private donors to support aid to foreign students.
The investigation represents part of a broader pattern of federal scrutiny against Harvard by the Trump administration. The government has previously sought to cut federal research funding, limit the university’s ability to enroll foreign students and military members, and has launched inquiries into admissions practices. The administration has characterized Harvard as a target in efforts to eliminate what officials describe as “wokeness” and address alleged antisemitism in higher education.