The Trump administration announced a “comprehensive review” of over $9 billion in federal funding for Harvard University on Monday.
The announcement follows a similar decision to cancel outright federal grants for Columbia University worth roughly $400 million after pro-Palestinian protesters took over and occupied a library at Barnard College, which is affiliated with the university. Columbia and Harvard have been a hotbed for protests following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in 2023 against Israel.
“Harvard has served as a symbol of the American dream for generations — the pinnacle aspiration for students all over the world to work hard and earn admission to the storied institution,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement Monday afternoon. “Harvard’s failure to protect students on campus from antisemitic discrimination — all while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry — has put its reputation in serious jeopardy. Harvard can right these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe on its campus.”
The departments of Education and Health and Human Services, alongside the U.S. General Services Administration, will conduct the review of the Harvard funds, including more than $255.6 million in federal contracts and $8.7 billion in multiyear grant commitments, and report back to President Donald Trump’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, created via executive order in January.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CANCELS COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY GRANTS WORTH $400 MILLION
The Trump administration gave Columbia nine preconditions the university must meet to negotiate the return of canceled funding, but White House officials did not respond to inquiries about any preconditions outlined for the Harvard investigation.
“The Task Force will continue its efforts to root out antisemitism and to refocus our institutions of higher learning on the core values that undergird a liberal education,” added Sean Keveney, acting HHS general counsel antisemitism task force member. “We are pleased that Harvard is willing to engage with us on these goals.”