Thirty organizations say the department’s changes could require colleges to disclose every foreign donation they receive.
Thirty higher ed groups are arguing that the U.S. Department of Education’s proposal for how much information colleges and universities need to report on foreign donations and contracts may be too broad.
The organizations wrote in a letter to the department this week that its drafted instructions could be read as requiring institutions to disclose every foreign gift they receive — a far greater scope than what the Higher Education Act (HEA) has historically required.
This latest communication is part of an ongoing battle between the Ed Department and these groups, which have sought clarity on reporting mandates all year. The department has notified several universities this year that it is investigating whether they fully reported their foreign dealings.
Section 117 of the HEA requires U.S. colleges to report gifts from a foreign source if they total $250,000 or more within a calendar year.