Big Blow to Harvard! White House Freezes $2.2Bn in Grants, $60Mn in Contracts After University Defies Trump

Washington DC: The prestigious Harvard University is US President Donald Trump 's latest target as the White House has froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts after the university defied Trump over ‘campus activism’. 

The administration's letter to the university has called for major reforms including ‘merit-based’ admissions and better hiring policies; following this, the Harvard President wrote a letter to the university community flagging the violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights.

Harvard Hit! White House Freezes $202Bn in Grants, $60Mn in Contracts After University Defies Trump

The federal government has announced it is halting over $2.2 billion in grants and an additional $60 million in contracts directed to Harvard University. This decision follows Harvard’s announcement on Monday that it will not comply with the Trump administration’s directives aimed at curbing campus activism.

In a letter sent to the university on Friday, the administration outlined a series of sweeping demands. These include major governance and policy reforms, the implementation of so-called “merit-based” admissions and hiring practices, and an audit of students, faculty, and leadership concerning their perspectives on diversity.

The updated list of requirements also includes a prohibition on face coverings, a measure seemingly aimed at pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Additionally, the administration is urging Harvard to withdraw recognition and funding from any student organizations that are perceived to support unlawful behavior, violence, or harassment.

This is Violation of Rights, No Govt Should Dictate What Private Universities Can Teach: Harvard President

In a message to the Harvard community on Monday, University President Alan Garber stated that the federal government’s demands infringe on Harvard’s First Amendment rights and go beyond what the government is legally allowed to enforce under Title VI, a law that bars discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs.

Garber emphasized that no administration, regardless of political affiliation, should have the authority to control what private institutions teach, who they choose to admit or employ, or which academic fields they explore. He also noted that the university has already made significant efforts to confront antisemitism on campus.

“True progress won’t come through sweeping assertions of power that disregard legal boundaries in an attempt to control Harvard’s academic direction,” Garber wrote. “It is up to our community to define our path, uphold our principles, and take meaningful steps to improve where we fall short.”

US President Donald Trump vs Harvard University Over Campus Activism

The federal government's demands directed at Harvard are part of a wider effort to leverage taxpayer funding as a means of pressuring prominent universities to align with former President Donald Trump’s political objectives and shape campus policies accordingly. The administration has accused universities of failing to adequately address what it views as antisemitism during student-led demonstrations last year opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza—allegations the institutions have denied.

Harvard is among several Ivy League universities caught in this campaign, with the administration also suspending federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania, Brown, and Princeton in an attempt to force them into compliance. The letter sent to Harvard closely mirrors one previously sent to Columbia University, which ultimately led to policy changes there under the threat of losing significant federal funding.