Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 mandates that all U.S. institutions annually report foreign gifts exceeding $250,000, a requirement the the department claims Harvard has failed to fulfill.
The letter demands comprehensive records from the school, including lists of foreign gifts, grants, contracts, communications with foreign governments, and details on expelled foreign students or faculty with foreign affiliations.
The Department is also seeking names and backgrounds of Harvard affiliates tied to foreign governments, following reports that Harvard received $150 million from foreign sources between January 2020 and October 2024.
This demand follows a December compliance agreement between Harvard and the department, which required the university to improve its reporting practices, as noted by The Harvard Crimson.
