FOIA Request to Augusta University Regarding Chinese National Students on June 4, 2025.
As part of our commitment to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, East Central Georgia News has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Augusta University. The request seeks detailed information about the university’s current Chinese National students and their affiliations with various departments and scholarship programs.
The specific records requested under the Georgia Open Records Act include:
1. Documents or lists showing all current students who are Chinese Nationals, including their department of study. If such information is protected, we have asked for the total number of these students broken down by department.
2. Details regarding scholarships received by current Chinese National students, including the amount and source of each scholarship.
3. A list of recipients affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council if not already covered in the previous request. We also seek identification of which scholarships from request #2 satisfy this requirement.
4. Policies or procedures that outline how the university monitors students, including Chinese Nationals, to protect its Intellectual Property and other confidential information.
This request is made on behalf of East Central Georgia News and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating governmental agencies and promoting transparency through Freedom of Information laws.
As members of the media, we emphasize that access to public records is crucial for holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency for the public. We have requested a fee waiver based on our role in disseminating important information to the community.
For further details about our advocacy work and mission, please visit [The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy](https://stopsecrecy.org/about/).
