US Justice Department investigating whether Harvard aid programmes are discriminatory

The US Justice Department said on Monday it launched an investigation reviewing whether some Harvard University financial aid programmes were discriminatory, marking the latest fight against the university by Donald Trump’s administration.

“The Justice ‌Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today it is opening a compliance review into Harvard University to determine whether its China-based financial aid programmes and practices exclude American-citizen students,” the department said in a statement.

The agency said Chinese donors have given money to Harvard to support financial aid programmes limited to students from certain countries. That restriction could amount to illegal discrimination based on country of origin, the department said.

“Harvard appears ⁠to be accepting these funds and, in adherence to their restrictions, providing student financial aid ⁠to foreign students, presumably Chinese, based on their national origin – to the potential detriment of students of other national origins, including American citizens,” the Justice Department ‌said.

“Schools cannot take federal dollars and then turn around and accept money from foreign sources to give financial aid that deliberately excludes American citizens – doing so is illegal and we will stop it wherever we find it,” said Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Ivy League university has previously said it ⁠does not allow discriminatory policies.