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Harvard Faces $2.2 Billion Federal Funding Freeze After Rejecting Trump Administration Demands

The university defends its academic independence against unprecedented federal demands, sparking a broader battle over higher education governance.

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FILE - People take photos near a John Harvard statue, left, on the Harvard University campus, Jan. 2, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. Two task forces charged with proposing ways to combat anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism at Harvard University have delivered their preliminary recommendations to Harvard interim president Alan Garber. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
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A rally Saturday in Cambridge, Mass.

Overview

  • Harvard University formally rejected demands from the Trump administration to alter policies on diversity, admissions, hiring, and campus activism, citing constitutional rights and institutional independence.
  • In response, the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts, significantly impacting Harvard's research funding and operations.
  • The administration justified its demands as efforts to combat antisemitism, though critics argue the measures are politically motivated and infringe on academic freedom.
  • Prominent figures, including Barack Obama, and institutions like Yale have expressed support for Harvard, framing the dispute as a defense of constitutional and academic rights.
  • The funding freeze is part of a broader federal campaign targeting elite universities, with similar actions taken against Columbia, Princeton, and Northwestern over the past year.