UMich accepted over $270M in foreign funds, Campus Reform audit finds; feds launch probe
Campus Reform obtained data from the Dept. of Education and found that the University of Michigan accepted more than $270 million from 38 countries.
The university is now under federal investigation for allegedly failing to accurately report its foreign funding amounts and sources, according to the Department of Education.
The University of Michigan (UM) has received more than $270 million from 38 foreign countries over the past decade, an audit conducted by Campus Reform reveals.
However, the Trump administration has raised concerns that the university may have significantly underreported its foreign funding, suggesting the true total could be much higher and involve additional countries.
In response to these concerns, the Department of Education launched a federal investigation after an initial review uncovered serious inaccuracies in the university’s financial disclosures on foreign funding.
Campus Reform analyzed data obtained from the Department of Education, covering contracts, gifts, and grants received between 2015 and 2025.
While our review uncovered over $270 million from 38 nations—including $30 million from China, $28 million from Japan, $18 million from South Korea, and $17 million from Hong Kong—the analysis was limited to available records.
The ongoing federal probe may uncover additional foreign contributions that were never properly reported.
The Department announced in its press release that the university 30 days to submit tax records, written procedures, and agreements with foreign governments, along with the names of individuals involved in partnerships with non-U.S. research institutions.
The request also includes a complete inventory of all foreign gifts, grants, contracts, and any conditional agreements involving the university or its affiliates since Jan. 1, 2020.
The probe is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing enforcement of Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which requires colleges that receive federal funds to report foreign gifts or contracts exceeding $250,000.
The administration has accused multiple institutions of violating these transparency laws by failing to disclose foreign money flowing onto U.S. campuses.
“As the recipient of federal research funding, UM has both a moral and legal obligation to be completely transparent about its foreign partnerships,” Chief Investigative Counsel Paul Moore wrote in the department’s press release.
[RELATED: UMich spent $100k on illegal immigrant scholarships, triggering federal probe]
President Donald Trump signed an April 23 executive order titled “Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities” which instructs federal agencies to enforce disclosure rules and require colleges to report the “true amounts, sources, and purposes of foreign money” received. It criticizes the Department’s prior failure to enforce Section 117, stating that universities have repeatedly failed to comply.
Universities found in violation of Section 117 may be subject to loss of federal funding.
The investigation into UM reflects concerns about potential foreign influence at American universities, especially amid rising scrutiny of ties to entities in China and other nations with political or economic interests that may conflict with U.S. values.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Michigan and the Department of Education for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
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