Dive Brief:

• Two private charitable foundations controlled and funded by David and Charles Koch, the billionaire brothers known for backing conservative Republican politicians, donated more than $12.7 million to colleges and universities in 2012.
• The Center for Public Integrity analyzed the Internal Revenue Service tax filings of the Koch brothers’ six foundations and found, not surprisingly, that their donations to higher education institutions, scholarships, think-tanks, and education programs supported conservative causes.
• George Mason University was the No. 1 recipient of the 2012 donations, with $8.49 million.

Dive Insight:

An article by the center quotes college administrators claiming, unconvincingly, that the donations do not influence course content or academic freedom. The Koch brothers have also donated tens of millions of dollars to colleges and universities over the last 10 years. No. 2 on the 2012 list, Florida State University, received much less than George Mason, comparatively, at $297,341. Others on the top 12 list, in descending order, are: Troy University, University of Arizona, Utah State University, Clemson University, Kansas State University, West Virginia University, University of North Carolina, George Washington, University Ohio State University, and Southern Methodist University.

For more on how the Kochs and other billionaires are shaping education at all levels, check out our recent feature.