The administration of former President Donald Trump has announced the freezing of $2.2 billion in long-term grants and an additional $60 million in contracts awarded to Harvard University, after the institution refused to comply with federal demands for sweeping policy changes.
The White House’s decision came just hours after Harvard publicly declared it would not accept the conditions set by a federal task force. These conditions included eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, reforming admissions and hiring practices based on “merit,” and banning the use of masks during campus protests.
Harvard President Alan M. Garber condemned the proposal, calling it “an unacceptable intrusion into academic independence,” and emphasized that the university would not relinquish its constitutional rights.
“No government, regardless of which party is in power, should dictate what private universities teach or who they admit and employ,” Garber said.
The Trump administration defended its move, claiming the action is intended to combat antisemitism on campuses and prevent the use of federal funds to promote, what it described as, racial discrimination.
“President Trump is working to make higher education great again. If Harvard wants to violate Title VI, it forfeits its right to federal funding,” a White House spokesperson stated.
In a parallel development, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), in collaboration with its Harvard chapter, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking a temporary injunction to stop the funding cuts. The lawsuit argues that the measure violates the First Amendment and undermines academic freedom.
Professors involved in the legal action argue that the government’s attempt to influence educational content and academic programs is “not only authoritarian but also unconstitutional.”
Despite Harvard’s $53.2 billion endowment, the funding freeze puts a wide range of research projects at risk, particularly those conducted in partnership with federal agencies. These include studies in public health, artificial intelligence, climate science, and technology innovation.
The government also announced it would review an additional $8.7 billion in other grants and more than $255 million in contracts between Harvard and various federal agencies.
This move follows similar action taken earlier this year against Columbia University, which became the first institution to be hit with a freeze — totaling $400 million — over similar policy disputes.
