The probe, launched by the US justice department (DOJ) on July 20, accuses Harvard of violating the Civil Rights Act by using donations from China-based sources to fund financial aid programs that exclude American citizens.
“Schools cannot take federal dollars and 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,” said assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon of the department’s civil rights division.
A compliance review of the university has been opened after an earlier audit allegedly found that Harvard’s funding from China-based sources required the money to be used for financial aid programs with preference for “students from particular countries”.
In a letter to Harvard, Dhillon said 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.”
China maintains that normal education and academic exchange should not be disrupted for political purposes
Liu Chang, Chinese Embassy in Washington
“These disclosures indicate that Harvard may be violating Title VI by providing financial aid to students on the basis of their national origin,” it claims.
But Harvard University spokesperson Jason Newton said in a statement that Harvard followed the required reporting donations, and in line with Title VI, “does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in allocating financial aid”.
“We are reviewing the Department of Justice’s latest letter to Harvard and will engage with the government regarding these issues,” Newton added.
Government data shows Harvard is the US university to receive the most funding from federal sources, totalling $4.5 billion, with largest amount coming from China, which accounts for more than $630 million.
The department has given Harvard a July 31 deadline to turn over all documents detailing donations from China-based or affiliated sources. If the university doesn’t comply, it risks having its federal funding suspended.
Harvard is already locked in a court battle with the Trump administration over billions of dollars of federal funding frozen by the government last year.
The latest investigation reinvigorates the administration’s ongoing feud with America’s oldest university, after White House allegations of antisemitism and ongoing attempts to bar international students from Harvard – in part, due to its alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party.
Liu Chang, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said China-US education cooperation was mutually beneficial. “China maintains that normal education and academic exchange should not be disrupted for political purposes,” he said.
