Title 20EducationRelease 119-73

§1011f Disclosures of foreign gifts

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 28— - HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › Part Part B— - Additional General Provisions › § 1011f

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Colleges and universities must tell the Secretary when a foreign source gives them $250,000 or more in a calendar year, whether from one gift or contract or from several combined. They must file the report by the earlier date of January 31 or July 31. The report must show how much money came from each foreign country for non‑government sources, how much came from each foreign government, and, if a foreign person or group owns or controls the school, who that is, when control began, and any program or structure changes caused by that control. If a gift or contract has conditions or limits (for example, rules about hiring, creating programs, admitting students, or restricting scholarships), the school must include the amount, the date, and a description of those conditions, plus the country or government involved. If a state law or another federal agency already requires a similar public report, a copy of that report can be filed instead. All reports are public and may be inspected during business hours. If a school fails to follow these rules, the Attorney General can sue to force compliance at the Secretary’s request, and a school that knowingly or willfully disobeys must pay the U.S. the full costs the government spends to make it comply. The Secretary may write rules to implement these requirements. Defined terms (one line each): contract — an agreement to buy, lease, or trade property or services; foreign source — a foreign government, a foreign legal entity, a non‑U.S. individual, or an agent/subsidiary acting for a foreign source; gift — money or property; institution — a U.S. college or university that grants at least a bachelor’s degree (or a two‑year program that counts toward one), is accredited, and gets federal financial aid; restricted or conditional gift or contract — a gift or agreement that places limits on hiring, creating departments or programs, choosing students, or giving aid to certain groups.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §1011f

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whenever any institution is owned or controlled by a foreign source or receives a gift from or enters into a contract with a foreign source, the value of which is $250,000 or more, considered alone or in combination with all other gifts from or contracts with that foreign source within a calendar year, the institution shall file a disclosure report with the Secretary on January 31 or July 31, whichever is sooner.
(b)Each report to the Secretary required by this section shall contain the following:
(1)For gifts received from or contracts entered into with a foreign source other than a foreign government, the aggregate dollar amount of such gifts and contracts attributable to a particular country. The country to which a gift is attributable is the country of citizenship, or if unknown, the principal residence for a foreign source who is a natural person, and the country of incorporation, or if unknown, the principal place of business, for a foreign source which is a legal entity.
(2)For gifts received from or contracts entered into with a foreign government, the aggregate amount of such gifts and contracts received from each foreign government.
(3)In the case of an institution which is owned or controlled by a foreign source, the identity of the foreign source, the date on which the foreign source assumed ownership or control, and any changes in program or structure resulting from the change in ownership or control.
(c)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), whenever any institution receives a restricted or conditional gift or contract from a foreign source, the institution shall disclose the following:
(1)For such gifts received from or contracts entered into with a foreign source other than a foreign government, the amount, the date, and a description of such conditions or restrictions. The report shall also disclose the country of citizenship, or if unknown, the principal residence for a foreign source which is a natural person, and the country of incorporation, or if unknown, the principal place of business for a foreign source which is a legal entity.
(2)For gifts received from or contracts entered into with a foreign government, the amount, the date, a description of such conditions or restrictions, and the name of the foreign government.
(d)(1)If an institution described under subsection (a) is within a State which has enacted requirements for public disclosure of gifts from or contracts with a foreign source that are substantially similar to the requirements of this section, a copy of the disclosure report filed with the State may be filed with the Secretary in lieu of a report required under subsection (a). The State in which the institution is located shall provide to the Secretary such assurances as the Secretary may require to establish that the institution has met the requirements for public disclosure under State law if the State report is filed.
(2)If an institution receives a gift from, or enters into a contract with, a foreign source, where any other department, agency, or bureau of the executive branch requires a report containing requirements substantially similar to those required under this section, a copy of the report may be filed with the Secretary in lieu of a report required under subsection (a).
(e)All disclosure reports required by this section shall be public records open to inspection and copying during business hours.
(f)(1)Whenever it appears that an institution has failed to comply with the requirements of this section, including any rule or regulation promulgated under this section, a civil action may be brought by the Attorney General, at the request of the Secretary, in an appropriate district court of the United States, or the appropriate United States court of any territory or other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to request such court to compel compliance with the requirements of this section.
(2)For knowing or willful failure to comply with the requirements of this section, including any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, an institution shall pay to the Treasury of the United States the full costs to the United States of obtaining compliance, including all associated costs of investigation and enforcement.
(g)The Secretary may promulgate regulations to carry out this section.
(h)For the purpose of this section—
(1)the term “contract” means any agreement for the acquisition by purchase, lease, or barter of property or services by the foreign source, for the direct benefit or use of either of the parties;
(2)the term “foreign source” means—
(A)a foreign government, including an agency of a foreign government;
(B)a legal entity, governmental or otherwise, created solely under the laws of a foreign state or states;
(C)an individual who is not a citizen or a national of the United States or a trust territory or protectorate thereof; and
(D)an agent, including a subsidiary or affiliate of a foreign legal entity, acting on behalf of a foreign source;
(3)the term “gift” means any gift of money or property;
(4)the term “institution” means any institution, public or private, or, if a multicampus institution, any single campus of such institution, in any State, that—
(A)is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary school;
(B)provides a program for which the institution awards a bachelor’s degree (or provides not less than a 2-year program which is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree) or more advanced degrees; and
(C)is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association and to which institution Federal financial assistance is extended (directly or indirectly through another entity or person), or which institution receives support from the extension of Federal financial assistance to any of the institution’s subunits; and
(5)the term “restricted or conditional gift or contract” means any endowment, gift, grant, contract, award, present, or property of any kind which includes provisions regarding—
(A)the employment, assignment, or termination of faculty;
(B)the establishment of departments, centers, research or lecture programs, or new faculty positions;
(C)the selection or admission of students; or
(D)the award of grants, loans, scholarships, fellowships, or other forms of financial aid restricted to students of a specified country, religion, sex, ethnic origin, or political opinion.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to this section were contained in section 1145d of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–244. A prior section 1011f, Pub. L. 89–329, title I, § 127, as added Pub. L. 102–325, title I, § 101, July 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 464, related to priority grant applications, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 105–244.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 1011f

Title 20Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73