Staff Reports
The Education Department and the State Department just opened formal Section 117 investigations into Duke University and the University of North Dakota for what the agencies call “incomplete, inaccurate, and untimely” disclosures of foreign funding. In plain English: colleges that take federal money must report big gifts and contracts from foreign sources, and these two schools are now under a microscope. The probes could put federal funding and student aid at risk if the universities don’t cooperate quickly and fully.
What the investigation demands
The government gave both schools 30 calendar days to hand over tax filings, contracts, lists of reportable foreign gifts above $250,000, research agreements, and internal controls about how they track foreign money. That $250,000 threshold comes straight from Section 117 of the Higher Education Act. Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said the agencies found disclosures that were late or missing important details. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers warned that some partners were even mischaracterized as non‑governmental.
Why Duke and UND were singled out
Duke’s review zeroes in on Duke Kunshan, the joint campus tied to Wuhan University — an institution already flagged by lawmakers for links to Chinese defense research. For UND, investigators are focused on the School of Aerospace and its uncrewed aerial systems work, and on outside investments from Chinese aviation companies said to have close ties to China’s military. In short, these aren’t innocent study‑abroad partnerships; they touch on sensitive technology and military connections.
Universities’ responses and the stakes
Both Duke and UND say they received the letters and will cooperate while they review the requests. That’s the polite version of “we’ll see what we can find.” The government, however, is serious: enforcement could include actions by the Education Department’s legal office and even the Justice Department, and it could threaten Title IV student aid eligibility. This action is part of a wider push — including Defense Department audits at dozens of campuses — to get foreign influence out of sensitive research areas. If you want federal dollars, you play by federal rules. No exceptions.
Conclusion: National security over campus virtue signaling
Americans should want their universities to be open about who pays the bills. Fancy diversity talking points don’t matter when foreign funding lines up with potential military technology or when partners are misnamed on disclosure forms. If colleges want to keep federal money and public trust, they must show their books — including the names of foreign counterparties. Call this tough oversight overdue, and yes, call it common sense: national security beats campus optics every time.
