ENFORCING TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order bolstering transparency requirements regarding foreign funds flowing to American higher education and research institutions.
- The Order mandates full and timely disclosure of foreign funding by higher education institutions.
- It directs the Secretary of Education to:
- Reverse or rescind any actions by the prior administration that allow universities to obscure details regarding their foreign funding.
- Require universities to disclose the true source and purpose of foreign funds.
- Provide the American people with greater access to general information about foreign funding of higher education institutions, which the prior administration kept limited.
- Work with the Attorney General and relevant departments and agencies to hold non-compliant institutions accountable through audits, investigations, and enforcement actions.
- To enhance accountability, the Order clarifies that certain Federal grant funds could be revoked for failure to comply with foreign funding disclosure requirements.
SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN INTERESTS: President Trump is committed to protecting national security, academic integrity, and American excellence by ensuring transparency in foreign funding.
- For far too long, foreign funds have flowed to U.S. colleges and universities with inadequate transparency or oversight.
- The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations described foreign government spending at America’s universities as “effectively a black hole.”
- A recent report found that $60 billion in foreign gifts and contracts have been funneled into American colleges and universities over the past several decades.
- Only about 300 of the approximately 6,000 U.S. institutions self-report foreign money each year.
- Undisclosed foreign funding raises serious concerns about potential foreign influence, national security risks, and compromised academic integrity.
RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY: President Trump is ending secrecy surrounding foreign funding in higher education to protect students, research, and the marketplace of ideas.
- In President Trump’s first term, his Department of Education uncovered $6.5 billion in previously unreported foreign funds to U.S. colleges and universities.
- The Biden Administration weakened these efforts by reassigning investigative responsibilities to an ill-equipped unit, and by reducing oversight and public access to information.
- This Executive Order reinstates robust enforcement, ensuring foreign funding is transparent and does not compromise American interests.