Once again, SMU is being questioned about its $1 billion endowment, along with 55 other universities nationwide.

Unlike the previous scrutiny in 2007 and 2008, this investigation is focused solely on private institutions and the “tax preferences” included in their endowments for the 2014 fiscal year. Questions have also been raised regarding the institutions’ “naming rights” policies for donors and conflicts of interest of those involved in investment decisions.

The Chronicle of Higher Education‘s Goldie Blumenstyk outlines the details of the congressional scrutiny as well as includes a copy of the four-page letter congressional committees sent to SMU and the other universities this week. The letter “demands that [the universities] provide at least three years of financial data about their endowment-spending policies, the fees they pay to their money managers, and the share of endowment going toward student aid.” Read her article here.

What does this mean for SMU? In the wake of the NCAA sanctions against the SMU men’s basketball team, this is just one more hoop for SMU to jump through.