The U.S. Department of Education has halted around $2.3 billion in federal support to Harvard University after the Ivy League school pushed back against the Trump administration’s demands to make sweeping changes on its campus—including rolling back diversity programs and limiting student activism.
The freeze includes $2.2 billion in grants and an additional $60 million in federal contracts, according to a statement released by the Education Department’s antisemitism task force.
Pressure from the White House sparks showdown with Harvard
On Friday, the Trump administration sent an official letter to Harvard, urging the school to adopt a broad list of reforms. The letter outlined major overhauls in how Harvard should be run—calling for changes in governance, hiring processes, and even how the school handles student admissions.
But Harvard refused. In a strong public response shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the university wrote, “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
White House links reforms to fight against antisemitism
According to the Trump administration, the requested changes were part of a larger effort to fight antisemitism on college campuses, which it says has increased in recent months.
But Harvard President Alan Garber disagreed. In a letter addressed to the campus community last Friday, Garber warned that the federal government’s demands were overstepping legal boundaries.
“The sweeping demands violated the university’s First Amendment rights and ‘exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI,’” Garber said, as reported by the Associated Press.
Education Department criticizes Harvard’s refusal
Reacting to Harvard’s decision, the Education Department’s antisemitism task force released a statement on Monday slamming the university for what it described as a “troubling entitlement mindset.”
“Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the statement read, according to Reuters.
Demands included weakening student influence and reporting “hostile” behavior
The administration’s letter to Harvard reportedly listed ten major categories of reform the university would need to implement in order to keep receiving federal funds.
According to BBC News, some of the proposed changes included:
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Reducing the power of both student groups and non-tenured faculty members.
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Reporting students to the federal government if they are deemed “hostile” to American values.
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Shutting down diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across campus.
A battle over federal power and academic freedom
The conflict between Harvard and the Trump administration marks a larger national debate about the role of federal funding in higher education, freedom of expression, and how universities handle social and political movements on campus.
While the White House says the reforms are necessary to protect Jewish students and ensure academic spaces don’t tolerate hate, critics argue that the administration is using federal funds as a weapon to suppress dissent and dismantle inclusion efforts.
Harvard, for now, seems prepared to stand its ground—risking billions in funding in order to defend its independence and principles.
