The Trump administration has frozen more than $2.2bn (approximately Rs 19,000 crore) in federal funding for Harvard University just hours after the institution rejected a list of sweeping demands from the White House, which it said amounted to government overreach and an attempt to control academic freedom.
In a statement, the US Department of Education said: “Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges.”
The White House had sent Harvard a list of conditions it claimed were designed to combat antisemitism on campus, including changes to governance, hiring and admissions policies. But Harvard pushed back, saying the measures would compromise its independence and allow the government undue influence over university affairs.
Harvard becomes the first major US university to openly defy the Trump administration's demands. Accepting the changes would have drastically altered its internal operations and shifted a significant amount of control to the federal government.
President Trump has repeatedly accused (wrongly) top universities of failing to protect Jewish students during widespread protests over the war in Gaza and US support for Israel last year.
In a letter to the university community on Monday, Harvard's president, Alan Garber, revealed that the White House had sent an “updated and expanded list of demands” on Friday, along with a warning that future funding would be contingent on compliance.
“We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,” he wrote. “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
Garber acknowledged the importance of addressing antisemitism but criticised the government's approach as excessive. “Although some of the demands are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the intellectual conditions at Harvard,” he said.
Soon after Garber’s letter was released, the Department of Education announced the immediate freeze of $2.2bn in grants and $60m in contracts to Harvard. “The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable,” the statement read. “It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”
The Trump administration has increasingly targeted universities over antisemitism and DEI (diversity and equality initiative) efforts. In December 2023, the presidents of leading US institutions were grilled in Congress over alleged failures to protect Jewish students in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Former Harvard president Claudine Gay later resigned following controversy over her congressional testimony and accusations of plagiarism.
In March, the Trump administration said it was reviewing $256 million in current federal contracts with Harvard and $8.7 billion in long-term funding commitments. Harvard faculty have since filed a lawsuit, accusing the administration of violating free speech and academic freedom protections.
This latest funding freeze follows a similar move against Columbia University, where the Trump administration withdrew $400 million in federal support, citing similar concerns. Columbia has since agreed to meet several of the government's conditions, a decision that has drawn criticism from students and faculty.
Meanwhile, tensions around campus protests continue. On Monday, Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green card holder and organiser of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia, was detained by immigration officials in Vermont while attending a citizenship interview. He is due to graduate next month. Other students from Columbia and Tufts involved in similar protests have also been detained in recent weeks.+
