H.R. 4902 — Securing Academia from Foreign Entanglements Act

This section prohibits an institution of higher education from receiving a gift from or entering into a contract with a foreign country of concern (i.e., a covered nation such as the People's Republic of China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea, or any country the Secretary of Education—in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Director of National Intelligence—determines to be engaged in conduct detrimental to U.S. national security or foreign policy). (Thus, the prohibition does not apply to payments for tuition, room and board, fees, or other costs of attendance.) It further amends the foreign gift disclosure requirements of Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 by excluding a foreign country of concern from the term "agency of a foreign government." (As background, Section 117 requires institutions to disclose gifts from or contracts with foreign sources valued at $250,000 or more—considered alone or in combination with others from the same source within a calendar year—by filing reports with the Secretary of Education on January 31 or July 31, whichever is sooner.)