Topline
Harvard University said Monday it will not accept an agreement with the Trump administration, saying it wouldn’t jeopardize its “independence or its constitutional rights” as it faces a threat to cut $9 billion in government funding because of antisemitism allegations linked to its handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
Harvard University is one of many colleges under investigation by the Trump administration for their … More
Key Facts
“Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government,” attorneys representing Harvard wrote in a letter to the Education Department, among other Trump administration officials.
Several agencies, including the Education Department, announced last month a review into $9 billion in government contracts and grants for Harvard to ensure the college was “in compliance with federal regulations,” including how Harvard handled alleged antisemitism on campus during a wave of pro-Palestinian protests across college campuses in the U.S.
The Trump administration sent a list of demands to Harvard on April 11, including requests for the college to make sweeping changes to its governance, admissions and hiring processes, as well as for Harvard to be monitored by administration officials.
Harvard will continue combatting antisemitism on campus, and the college “remains open to dialogue about what the university has done, and is planning to do, to improve the experience of every member of its community,” the attorneys wrote, adding Harvard was “not prepared” to meet demands that “go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration.”
Harvard president Alan Garber, who said last month the college would cooperate with the review, claimed the latest demands “[go] beyond the power of the federal government” and violate Harvard’s First Amendment rights.
Garber argued, “No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach,” or who they admit and hire.
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Crucial Quote
“It makes clear the [Trump administration’s] intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner,” Garber wrote, arguing a “majority” of the White House demands “represent direct government regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard.”
How Large Is Harvard’s Endowment?
Harvard’s endowment grew to $53.2 billion in its 2024 fiscal year after a 9.6% return on investments, according to the college’s latest financial report. Harvard has had the most endowment funds of any university in the U.S. for years, followed by Yale University and the University of Texas system, which reported endowments of $42 billion and $40 billion in 2021, respectively.
This is a developing story.
