The Justice Department opened a compliance review into whether Harvard violated federal civil rights law by using gifts from China-based sources to fund financial aid programs that allegedly favor foreign students. The inquiry follows audits of Harvard’s foreign-funding disclosures showing the university has received more than $630 million from sources based in China. DOJ Civil Rights Division leadership said evidence indicates certain gifts and contracts may require Harvard to establish or support financial aid with preference given to students from particular countries—raising potential Title VI concerns about discrimination based on national origin. Harvard said it reviews and allocates aid in line with the law and does not unlawfully discriminate. For higher education institutions, the dispute highlights a growing enforcement focus on foreign funding conditions, reporting transparency, and whether scholarships tied to donor restrictions produce discriminatory outcomes under federal civil rights rules. It also signals that universities may face tighter review processes for scholarship partnerships with overseas donors, especially when funding terms include country-of-origin constraints.