PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Harvard University rejected a set of funding conditions from the Trump administration aimed at addressing anti-Semitism and other civil rights issues on its campus on Monday, risking the potential loss of hundreds of millions of federal education dollars.
👥 Who’s Involved: Harvard University, President Donald J. Trump’s administration, and Harvard President Alan M. Garber.
📍 Where & When: The statement was issued by Harvard on Monday through a post on their X (formerly Twitter) account.
💬 Key Quote: “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” the university stated.
⚠️ Impact: Harvard risks potential federal funding cuts as it opposes the Trump administration’s conditions, which are intended to combat anti-Semitism and involve an audit of class subjects and student admission criteria adjustments.
IN FULL:
Harvard University announced on Monday that it will not comply with a set of conditions issued by President Donald J. Trump’s administration in order to continue receiving federal funding. The Trump White House previously informed the university that future federal funding would be conditioned on its adoption of a proposed series of policy changes aimed at combating antisemitism on campus, eliminating its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and additional screening of international students for potential terrorist sympathies.
“The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Harvard University posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, announcing its decision to refuse the government’s funding conditions. Meanwhile, students, teachers, and staff were notified of the university’s decision in a note from Harvard President Alan Garber.
“No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote, alleging: “Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard.”
Harvard’s decision to reject the Trump administration proposal could imperil nearly $9 billion in federal funding. Earlier this year, President Trump moved to cut an estimated $400 million in federal funding earmarked for Columbia University over the school’s failure to handle pro-Hamas and antisemitic protests on campus. The Trump administration has also cut $500 million in funding for Brown University, again citing the school’s failure to address anti-Semitic incidents and pro-Hamas demonstrators.
Additional schools seeing significant funding cuts include Cornell University, which has lost $1 billion in federal dollars, and Northwestern University, which saw a cut of around $790 million.