A majority of American parents have no idea that China, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are some of the top donors to U.S. universities, a new poll found.
The survey also found that the same parents are concerned that foreign money is having an influence on the curriculum their children are learning in college.
The survey commissioned by the Lawfare Project, a nonprofit, think tank and litigation fund that works to protect the civil rights of Jewish and pro-Israel communities worldwide, polled over 2,000 adults.
Key insights from the poll were that nearly 60 percent of Americans were unaware that foreign countries are major donors to American universities, with most of the participants concerned that foreign money will have an impact on what students are taught and on research being conducted.
Eighty percent of those polled also said they wanted transparency when it comes to foreign funding along with stronger laws to require universities to report how every dollar received from foreign countries is spent.
The poll also found that 2 in 3 Americans had no idea that Qatar is one of the largest foreign donors to American colleges, with respondents becoming even more concerned when told about Qatar’s ties to Iran and the Taliban and that the country has been sued for allegedly funding terrorism.
Nearly 85 percent of Americans said they had a “right to know” if Qatar was funding the university attended by their kids, with only China and Saudi Arabia causing higher concern.
Half of participants believed that U.S. universities should not be allowed to accept foreign money, with those opposed to foreign donations leaning Republican.
However, nearly half of college graduates said that they would not have an issue donating to their alma mater if they found out their university accepted funding form Qatar.