In a three page letter addressed to “Harvard’s President,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wrote, “Harvard will cease to be a publicly funded institution and can instead operate as a privately funded institution,” drawing on its colossal endowment and raising money from it’s large base of “wealthy alumni.”
The reaction on campus after the Trump administration announced its cutting off all new federal research grants, demanding the university overhaul key policies.
“I’m concerned about it, but you can’t just roll over and give up,” said Julia Sullivan, Harvard class of 1986. “It would have enormous impacts the way it has with the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and all the other things that made America great in the first place.”
The clash started last month when a federal task force accused Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination. That letter came with a list of demands telling Harvard to eliminate DEI programs, ban masks at campus protests, and fully cooperate with immigration authorities.
The task force warned that Harvard would lose federal support if it didn’t comply.
When Harvard rejected those demands, that administration froze more than $2 billion in federal funding.
Harvard responded by filing suit.
Now, this new funding freeze targets research grants. The administration says its open to negotiations but only if Harvard meets the original demands.
The White House is also threatening to revoke Harvard’s tax exempt status and block international students visas.
Harvard responded to this, saying in part, “Harvard will continue to defend against illegal government overreach aimed at stifling research and innovation that makes Americans safer and more secure.”
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