The Trump administration informed Harvard University on Monday that it will not be eligible for research grants from the federal government for the foreseeable future.
The move raises the stakes in President Donald Trump’s war against Harvard University. In recent weeks, the president and Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon have frozen Harvard’s more than $2 billion in current federal funding and opened an investigation into alleged antisemitism and viewpoint discrimination taking place on its campus following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks.
The president has additionally floated revoking the university’s tax-exempt status but has yet to take significant steps toward that aim.
According to senior Education Department officials, McMahon sent a letter to Harvard President Dr. Alan Garber informing him of the decision, and the loss of an estimated $1 billion in federal grants per year.
The letter outlines four specific areas where Harvard has “failed” and must make progress to regain eligibility for federal research grants, including:
- On-campus anti-semitism
- Tolerating “ongoing discrimination”
- An “abandonment of rigor and academic excellence”
- Viewpoint diversity
“The bottom line of the letter is that the Trump administration won’t stand by as taxpayer dollars are used to support colleges that tolerate antisemitism or that support racist policies,” one senior Education official said. “Harvard’s got a $53 billion endowment, and they can prioritize indoctrination, remedial classes for students if they like, but they shouldn’t be doing that supported by taxpayer funds. So that’s the letter in a nutshell.”
Trump officials stressed that Monday’s development would not impact federal student aid or Pell Grants, simply research grants for the university.
Officials also clarified that Harvard “would have to enter into a negotiation with the government to satisfy the government that it’s in compliance with all federal laws” to once again become eligible for new federal research grants.
Since reentering office, Trump has taken a number of actions aimed at combating “woke” policies, curriculum, and faculty on college campuses, and senior administration officials noted Monday that just 3% of Harvard’s current faculty identify as conservative.
Asked by reporters if the focus on political ideology could open up the administration to legal challenges, senior officials demurred.
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“That’s actually a part of the anti-semitism problem, the lack of viewpoint diversity,” one Education official suggested. “The hope is that they’ll bring viewpoint diversity to campus.”