DOJ probes Harvard aid tied to Chinese donors and foreign students

The Justice Department has opened a civil rights review of Harvard University over financial aid programs allegedly tied to donors in China and restricted to foreign students. Federal officials are examining whether those arrangements violate Title VI by excluding American citizens or otherwise discriminating based on national origin. Harvard said it does not unlawfully discriminate in allocating aid and that it complies with reporting rules for foreign donations. The Cambridge, Massachusetts, school said it is reviewing the department’s letter and will engage with the government. The department said its audit of foreign-funding disclosures found Harvard had reported nearly $4.5 billion from foreign sources since 1986, including more than $630 million from China.