The United States Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Harvard University over concerns that scholarship programmes funded by Chinese donors may be excluding American students.
The inquiry, announced on Monday, marks the latest federal action against the Ivy League institution as the Trump administration intensifies scrutiny of the university.
According to the Justice Department, Harvard’s disclosures on foreign funding have raised questions about whether some financial aid programmes backed by Chinese donors discriminate against U.S. citizens by limiting eligibility to students from specific countries.
Officials stressed that the review is still in its early stages and that no conclusions have been reached.
The investigation is focused on what the department described as Harvard’s “China-based financial aid programs.” It alleges that some donations from Chinese benefactors were designated for students from particular countries, a practice the department says could violate U.S. civil rights laws if it disadvantages American applicants.
“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,” said Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Harvard confirmed it is reviewing the notice issued by the department.
“Harvard follows the law for required reporting of donations and, consistent with our legal obligations under Title VI, does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in allocating financial aid,” the university said in a statement.
The Chinese embassy in Washington also responded, defending educational cooperation between the two countries.
“China maintains that normal education and academic exchange should not be disrupted for political purposes,” embassy spokesperson Liu Chang said.
Federal records show Harvard has received about $630 million in funding from Chinese sources over several decades, out of a reported $4.5 billion in total foreign funding.
The Justice Department did not identify any specific donor or scholarship programme under review but said the investigation was launched as a compliance review rather than in response to a formal complaint.
Harvard is among a small number of U.S. universities that provide need-based financial aid to international students under the same criteria used for American students. While federal financial aid is reserved for U.S. citizens, the university uses its own resources and private donations to support foreign students.
One notable example came in 2014, when Chinese real estate entrepreneurs Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin donated $15 million to establish financial aid for Chinese students at Harvard.
The Justice Department argues that using privately donated funds to favour students from certain countries could amount to discrimination against applicants from other nationalities, including Americans.
The latest inquiry adds to a growing list of federal investigations into Harvard under the Trump administration, which has accused the university of promoting “wokeness” and failing to address antisemitism on campus.
The administration has also sought to reduce Harvard’s federal research funding, restrict its ability to enrol foreign students and military personnel, and examine its admissions policies. A federal judge has temporarily blocked efforts to cut billions of dollars in research grants while the legal dispute continues.
