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4h ago

Justice Department Opens Title VI Review of Harvard’s China-Linked Financial Aid

The DOJ seeks donor agreements with student records, potentially leading to suspension of federal funding if investigators find national-origin discrimination.

FILE - People take photos near a John Harvard statue, left, on the Harvard University campus, Jan. 2, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
A pedestrian walks past a Harvard University sign after U.S. President Donald Trump said that his administration was close to a deal with Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., September 30, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
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Overview

  • The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division opened a compliance review of Harvard on Monday after a federal audit flagged China-linked gifts that appear to require preference for students from particular countries.
  • Investigators have asked Harvard to produce donor agreements and student-level recipient data and set a document response deadline reported as July 31, warning that failure to comply could prompt enforcement measures.
  • The review draws on Harvard’s Section 117 disclosures showing roughly $4.5 billion in foreign funding overall and more than $630 million from China-based sources, which the DOJ says raised compliance concerns.
  • Harvard says it follows reporting laws and does not unlawfully discriminate in allocating financial aid, and the Civil Rights Division stresses it has not reached any conclusions as the probe continues.
  • The inquiry is part of broader federal scrutiny of elite universities and could lead to voluntary fixes, suspension or termination of federal funds, or civil litigation, with direct effects on how scholarships are awarded and who competes for them.