Overview

• The U.S. Department of Education has formally launched an investigation into the University of Pennsylvania’s foreign funding disclosures.
• The probe alleges the university submitted incomplete, inaccurate, and untimely reports on foreign gifts and contracts exceeding $250,000, as required by law under Section 117.
• UPenn is required to provide detailed records, including tax filings, agreements with foreign entities, and personnel information, from 2017 onward within 30 days.
• Acting General Counsel Tom Wheeler criticized UPenn’s compliance history and emphasized the administration’s commitment to enforcing transparency in foreign funding.
• This investigation follows similar probes into Harvard and UC Berkeley and reflects a broader federal effort to address foreign influence and enforce compliance at elite universities.