The United States Department of Justice has launched an investigation into whether Harvard University violated federal civil rights law by utilising gifts from China-based sources to fund financial aid programmes that allegedly favour foreign students.
The department’s Civil Rights Division initiated the compliance review following an audit of Harvard’s foreign-funding disclosures, which reveal the university has received more than $630 million from sources based in China, reports Harvard Crimson.
Federal officials stated they discovered evidence that certain gifts and contracts require Harvard to establish or support financial aid programmes “with preference given to students from particular countries”.
Potential civil rights violations
Harmeet K Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the division, stated in a notice letter to Harvard that the university “appears to be accepting these funds with restrictions and conditions from China-based sources and then providing this student financial aid with preference to foreign students based on their national origin, presumably Chinese”.
Dhillon further noted that these disclosures indicate Harvard may be in violation of Title VI by providing financial aid to students based on their national origin.
While the division clarified it has not yet reached a conclusion regarding any legal violations, it has directed the university to provide documents concerning what it termed “Chinese Restricted Funds,” as well as student-level data on financial aid recipients.
University defence
Harvard spokesperson Jason A Newton defended the institution’s international ties, asserting that the university adheres to disclosure laws and “does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in allocating financial aid”.
Newton added that the university is currently reviewing the Justice Department’s correspondence and intends to engage with the government on the matter.
Escalating pressure
The investigation marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign against the university.
The Justice Department is already engaged in two other lawsuits against Harvard: one concerning the timely disclosure of admissions records and another alleging civil rights violation regarding the university’s response to campus antisemitism.
Furthermore, Harvard’s federal grants, totalling nearly $3 billion, and its capacity to enrol international students remain in legal limbo pending appeal.
Last June, President Donald Trump cited Harvard’s financial ties to China as a justification for barring its international students from entering the US, though the university successfully blocked that order in court.
Legislative scrutiny
The university’s dealings with China have also drawn fire from the US Department of Education and Congress. Last April, the Education Department accused Harvard of failing to accurately disclose foreign funding sources.
In May, House Republicans on the Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party launched a separate probe, accusing the university of “hosting and training a CCP paramilitary organisation” in a 14-page letter to Harvard President Alan M Garber. The committee threatened the university’s tax-exempt status over its partnerships with Chinese entities.
Additionally, the committee criticised the university for failing to discipline a student filmed dragging a protester during an anti-CCP demonstration in April 2024, despite three other students receiving probation for interrupting a CCP official.
Despite the mounting pressure from Washington, Harvard has continued its outreach in Asia. William R Fitzsimmons, the dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, visited Hong Kong twice this spring to court alumni and secure financial aid donations.
Similarly, Hopi E Hoekstra, dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences, met with alumni in Singapore this past January.
