UC Berkeley target of Trump admin foreign-funding investigation
The Trump administration is taking a firm stance on colleges that fail to disclose significant foreign donations, with UC Berkeley being the latest institution under scrutiny. Following a review by the Department of Education, it was discovered that the California university’s foreign funding disclosures may be incomplete or inaccurate. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has directed the agency’s legal team to enforce a law that requires schools to report foreign gifts or contracts exceeding $250,000.
In a statement, McMahon criticized the Biden-Harris Administration for neglecting oversight of colleges and universities’ legal obligations regarding foreign funding. She expressed confidence in the Office of General Counsel to investigate the matter thoroughly, starting with UC Berkeley’s alleged failure to fully disclose funding from foreign sources.
This crackdown on foreign influence in U.S. higher education comes as President Trump signed an executive order to tighten reporting rules on foreign funding by colleges. The Department of Education aims to address past policies that allowed universities to obscure details about their foreign funding and ensure full transparency regarding the sources and purposes of such funding. The focus on this issue intensified after reports emerged in 2023 that Berkeley had failed to report hundreds of millions of dollars received from China.
In response to a federal inquiry, Berkeley admitted to not reporting $220 million received and acknowledged building a financial relationship with foreign government-controlled entities. The university also admitted to misunderstanding its legal duty to disclose such funding. The Education Department has since initiated a records request into Harvard for foreign funding.
A White House fact sheet cited a Senate report revealing nearly $60 billion in foreign gifts and contracts flowing into U.S. universities over several decades with minimal oversight. President Trump’s push for transparency aims to protect students, research, and the marketplace of ideas in higher education.
As the Trump administration intensifies efforts to combat foreign influence in colleges, it is crucial for institutions to comply with reporting requirements to maintain transparency and accountability in their financial dealings. The investigation into UC Berkeley and other universities underscores the importance of upholding regulations to safeguard the integrity of American higher education.
