FOIA Request to Belmont University Regarding Chinese National Students on May 14, 2025.
As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in educational institutions, we at the Nashville Standard have submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Belmont University. Our request seeks detailed information concerning Chinese National students currently enrolled at the university.
Specifically, we are requesting documents or lists that provide insights into the number of Chinese National students and their respective departments. If student names are protected under privacy laws, we have asked for a total count broken down by department instead. Additionally, we seek information about scholarships awarded to these students, including the amount and source of each scholarship. In particular, we are interested in any scholarships affiliated with the Chinese Scholarship Council.
Furthermore, our request includes any policies or procedures Belmont University has in place to monitor students—particularly Chinese Nationals—to safeguard the university’s intellectual property and other confidential information.
This request is made on behalf of The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting transparency within governmental and public institutions. As members of the media, our role is crucial in gathering and disseminating news that holds public institutions accountable while providing transparency to the public. We believe this entitles us to a fee waiver for accessing these records.
For more information about The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy and its mission, please visit [https://stopsecrecy.org/about/](https://stopsecrecy.org/about/).
