The U.S. Department of Education’s foreign gifts disclosure dashboard has expanded public visibility into how colleges receive funding and contracts tied to foreign countries, but experts say the presentation may mislead. The portal shows cumulative totals—more than $72 billion in gifts and contracts across 559 colleges and universities from 194 countries as of May—and highlights major reported sources such as Qatar and China. Critics argue the dashboard lacks key context, including the specific time periods covered for displayed totals, and limits the ability to analyze trends by year because the data cannot easily be sorted. Sarah Spreitzer of the American Council on Education said the dashboard could be used for political purposes by implying annual snapshots rather than cumulative reporting. The Department of Education said disclosures stem from Section 117 reporting requirements established decades ago and that the “vast majority” of data has been disclosed since 2019, but did not directly address concerns about time frames and purposes in response to questions. The compliance and communications challenge lands as institutions prepare for heightened scrutiny of reporting and governance claims.