The State Department announced Monday a new interagency agreement with the Department of Education to strengthen enforcement of foreign funding disclosure requirements at American colleges and universities, citing President Trump’s Executive Order 14282 on transparency regarding foreign influence in higher education.
Under the agreement, the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will support administration of Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which requires U.S. institutions to report foreign gifts and contracts totaling $250,000 or more in a calendar year. Officials said the partnership is designed to improve the accuracy and transparency of reporting while allowing national security experts to more effectively assess potential foreign influence or threats.
The agreement expands the State Department’s role in managing and reviewing data from the Section 117 reporting portal. Leveraging its expertise in national security and foreign-national academic admissions, State will help review compliance, share information with federal stakeholders, and ensure the data can be used proactively to safeguard U.S. research and students.
Read the State Department Press Release
