The Trump administration has announced it is freezing more than $2 billion (£1.5 billion) in federal funding for Harvard University, just hours after the institution rejected a list of demands from the White House.
In a statement, the Department of Education criticized Harvard’s response, accusing the university of reflecting a “troubling entitlement mindset” prevalent at many prestigious institutions.
Last week, the White House sent Harvard a series of demands aimed at combating antisemitism on campus, which included changes to its governance, hiring practices, and admissions policies. Harvard, however, rejected these demands, claiming the administration sought to “control” the university’s community.
Harvard becomes the first major U.S. university to defy the Trump administration’s pressure to alter its policies. The proposed changes from the White House would have drastically reshaped the university’s operations, giving the government significant control over its processes.
President Trump has long criticized universities for not doing enough to protect Jewish students, especially amid the protests over the Gaza war and U.S. support for Israel.
Harvard’s President Alan Garber addressed the community on Monday, confirming that the university would not accept the updated list of demands. He emphasized that the university would not sacrifice its independence or constitutional rights to meet the White House’s conditions.
Garber also noted that while the university took its responsibility to fight antisemitism seriously, many of the government’s demands were attempts at government regulation of the intellectual environment at Harvard, which the university found unacceptable.
Following the university’s stance, the Department of Education immediately froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts. The department’s statement highlighted the importance of addressing campus disruptions and antisemitism.
The White House letter sent to Harvard outlined ten specific demands for the university to comply with in order to maintain its federal funding, including actions like reporting students who are “hostile” to American values and ensuring academic departments are “viewpoint diverse.” The administration also called for an audit of programs perceived as fueling antisemitic harassment.
This escalation follows months of criticism from the Trump administration about how U.S. universities have handled antisemitism, particularly in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict. In December 2023, university presidents testified before Congress, where they were accused of neglecting their duty to protect Jewish students. Claudine Gay, then Harvard’s president, resigned following a controversial comment about the context in which calls for violence against Jews could be considered acceptable.
The administration’s scrutiny extended to other institutions, including Columbia University, which had $400 million in federal funding revoked after failing to meet similar demands.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration reviewed over $256 million in federal contracts and grants to Harvard, with additional scrutiny on multi-year commitments. Harvard faculty filed a lawsuit claiming the government’s actions threatened freedom of speech and academic freedom.
The federal pressure on universities to tackle antisemitism and diversity practices continues to intensify, with Columbia agreeing to several demands after its federal funding was withheld. This ongoing battle highlights the tension between government influence and academic autonomy in U.S. higher education.
