Qatar is biggest foreign funder of US colleges, new Education Department data shows

According to the dashboard, Qatar provided around $6.6 billion to U.S. universities, followed by Germany ($4.4 billion), England ($4.3 billion), China ($4.1 billion), Canada ($4 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($3.9 billion).

By Aaron Bandler, JNS

Qatar is the largest source of foreign funding for U.S. higher education institutions, according to data displayed in a new U.S. Department of Education portal.

The portal, which went live on Jan. 2, explains that, under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, federally funded universities are required to disclose, twice annually, any gifts and contracts from a foreign source that are worth at least $250,000 in a calendar year.

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, told JNS that “our college campuses are being flooded with foreign cash, but every single dollar given by our adversaries comes with strings attached.”

“America’s adversaries exploit these financial ties to steal research, spread divisive propaganda, push indoctrination, and undermine free speech,” Walberg said.

“Enough is enough,” he added. “The Trump administration is making the reporting of foreign funds easier and more transparent so we can protect our students and the integrity of American education.”

Kenneth Marcus, chairman and CEO of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and a former assistant U.S. secretary of education for civil rights, told JNS that he’s “glad that the Trump administration is bringing greater transparency to the enormous amount of foreign money that’s coming into our higher education system.”

According to the dashboard, Qatar provided around $6.6 billion to U.S. universities, followed by Germany ($4.4 billion), England ($4.3 billion), China ($4.1 billion), Canada ($4 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($3.9 billion).

Of the schools that received funds from Qatar, Cornell University topped the list with $2.3 billion, followed by Carnegie Mellon University ($1 billion), Texas A&M University ($992.8 million) and Georgetown University ($971.1 million).

“In particular, this portal already shows huge amounts coming in from Qatar,” Marcus told JNS. “It is hard to imagine that this amount of money doesn’t imply some amount of influence, and it’s fair to ask what kind of influence Qatar is obtaining in exchange for its money.”

Overall, the data shows that the value of contracts and gifts from all foreign countries is $62.4 billion to 527 U.S. colleges and universities.

Brandy Shufutinsky, director of the education and national security program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS that she has questions about the data, such as whether universities are required to report the specific funding entities within a country.

“For example, if an international non-governmental organization or governmental department gave funds to an American university, does that university have to disclose the name of that NGO or governmental department?” she said. (JNS sought comment from the Education Department.)

She also asked whether the portal provides information on how foreign funding is used.

“The idea for the portal should not only be to increase transparency around Section 117, but to allow users to truly understand the level of foreign funding and influence taking place in the American higher education system,” Shufutinsky said.

Linda McMahon, U.S. education secretary, stated that “after years of neglect by the Biden administration, the new portal will assist our institutions of higher education in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities and enable us to protect our national security by facilitating improved compliance.”