The U.S. Department of Justice opened a compliance review into whether Harvard University violated federal civil rights law through China-based gifts tied to scholarships that may favor students from particular countries. The DOJ said it found evidence that some Harvard financial aid programs are conditioned on country-of-origin restrictions, which could amount to unlawful discrimination. Separate from the Harvard disclosure, the DOJ also alleged the UC San Diego School of Medicine intentionally discriminated against applicants based on race after reviewing its admissions practices. The allegations arrive amid broader federal efforts to narrow race-conscious admissions and heighten enforcement of Title VI. For universities, the common thread is a tightening compliance environment: investigations focus not only on admissions criteria, but also on how external funding arrangements are translated into student financial aid. Institutions are now weighing legal risk, reporting obligations, and how quickly they can revise program rules and disclosures without disrupting recruitment. Administrators and legal teams are likely to increase internal audits of scholarship and admissions workflows, especially where donor restrictions, country-based eligibility, or race-based selection criteria are implicated in any way.