The US Justice Department said Monday it had launched an investigation into whether some of Harvard University’s financial aid programs were discriminatory, marking the latest battle against the university and President Donald Trump’s administration.
“The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice announced today that it is opening a compliance review at Harvard University to determine whether its China-based financial aid programs and practices discriminate against American students,” the department said in a statement.
Harvard said Monday it “does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in awarding financial aid”.
A university spokeswoman said the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Ivy League school was reviewing the latest DOJ letter to Harvard and would contact the government on the topic.
US law requires universities to report contributions from foreign sources that exceed $250,000 per year. Harvard has previously said it has submitted reports for decades “as part of its ongoing compliance with the law”.
The school also previously described the Trump administration’s investigation as “retaliatory measures against Harvard for its refusal to surrender our freedoms and constitutional rights”.
