1. Just how much money is flowing into Texas universities from foreign nations?

Countries try to buy foreign influence in higher education and it’s worrisome because three of the top donors across America are Qatar, Saudi Arabia and China, each contributing billions to American universities.

Universities in Texas have accepted $87 million from Saudi Arabia, $205 million from China, and nearly $1 billion from Qatar. 

Texas universities have accepted three times more money from Qatar than from any other country. New York is the only state with more Qatari funding.

And more than a third of the Qatar funding is “restricted” — meaning the Middle East dictates how the money gets spent.

 

2. How does the money break down by university?

 

Universities with the most Qatari funding: 

Cornell University	$  2,113,263,582
Carnegie Mellon University	$  893,444,152
Texas A and M University	$  891,793,041.00
Georgetown University	$  889,293,644
Northwestern University	$  689,586,983
Virginia Commonwealth University	$  288,624,841
Houston Community College	$    30,216,920

 

Texas A&M has accepted the third most funding from Qatar of any American university: $890 million. They’ve only taken a few million from other countries.

 

Houston Community College is also near the top for Qatari funding.

 

UT Austin is getting more funding from Saudi Arabia - about a third of Saudi money to Texas went to Austin. In total, UT Austin has accepted $500 million from foreign nations.

 

 

3. What is all that money being used for?

 

Universities are not required to report what they use this money for, which is a huge transparency issue. But our team was still able to piece most of it together.

 

Texas A&M voted earlier this year to close its Qatar campus, but not until 2028. That came after The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy found that Qatar gets partial ownership of the American nuclear science and weapons development research at the campus.

 

Houston Community College used to operate a campus in Qatar’s “Education City.” Some professors said Qatari officials made them leave the campus because they were Jewish.

 

UT Austin runs the Empowering Saudi Women Through Entrepreneurship program.

 

 

4. If these foreign gifts aren’t affecting U.S. finances, why should taxpayers be concerned about them?

 

These universities are taxpayer-funded and should be operating in the best interest of the American taxpayer.

 

Even private universities have billions of dollars of federal contracts and grants flowing in that help them grow their endowments.

 

Earlier this year there were mass protests in support of Hamas at colleges in Texas and around the country. It’s possible those will continue this school year. 

 

Now consider that $1 of every $5 universities received from foreign gifts comes from just four Middle Eastern countries: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

 

If protests continue, it’s important to keep in mind who’s funding these universities.