The U.S. Department of State has announced a new interagency partnership with the Department of Education aimed at improving the transparency of foreign funding in American higher education institutions. This initiative follows President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14282, which calls for enhanced efforts to protect students and research from foreign influence.
Under this agreement, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will assist in administering Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The goal is to increase both the accuracy and openness of how colleges and universities report foreign gifts and contracts.
The cooperation agreement was signed by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers and Department of Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent. According to the announcement, “this partnership leverages the State Department’s expertise in national security and foreign-national academic admissions.” It also states that “data gathered from the Section 117 reporting portal can be easily used by national security experts and the public, ensuring the Department of State is able to address potential threats and protect vital interests decisively and proactively.”
Section 117 requires U.S. colleges and universities to disclose any combination of gifts or contracts from a foreign source totaling $250,000 or more within a calendar year.
Further information about this effort can be found through press releases and fact sheets provided by the Department of Education.
