Earlier this week, on Monday, May 5, the Trump Administration notified Harvard University that it was ineligible to receive federal research grants worth billions of dollars due to noncompliance with the administration’s list of demands.
According to the The New York Times, Education Secretary Linda McMahon wrote to the school that its grants were being revoked due to the administration’s belief that the school failed to address antisemitism on campus and policies on affirmative action. Trump hadn’t yet retaliated against Harvard since they challenged the federal government on the removal of grants until now.
According to the AP News, the president has previously attacked Harvard over its tax-exemption status, which most universities in the US hold. Harvard’s refusal to comply with the president’s demands led to his administration blocking approximately two billion in federal grants. In response, Harvard sued Trump’s administration. According to The Guardian, Harvard president Alan Garber stated that the administration’s decision would negatively impact international students. Garber also expressed that Trump’s attacks on Harvard could paint higher education in America in a poor light.
The cutting of grants comes at a time when the Trump administration has been consistently mounting pressure on top universities in an attempt to get them to comply with its agenda. According to the AP News, Columbia, Cornell, and the University of Pennsylvania have all had federal grants cut in retaliation for not aligning with the administration’s demands.
As stated in AP News, Alan Garber responded in a statement in relation to Monday’s decision. Garber stated that the direction that the Trump Administration is heading in is one that overextends the power of the federal government, and warned that the cutting off of grants would harm important research projects. Garber also explained that although he somewhat agreed with criticisms over antisemitism and diverse viewpoints at Harvard, the attacks by the federal government felt more like an invasion of Harvard’s autonomy.
According to the The Times, the consequences of Harvard being denied federal grants are potentially massive. Although federal-sponsored money only accounted for $687 of the university’s revenue in 2024, which is a small fraction in comparison to the $53 billion in endowment funds the university owns. However, much of the money is restricted, meaning that Harvard cannot use a lot of that money. As a result, it is likely that Harvard will be thrown into financial jeopardy as it tries to seek new methods of funding.
There are many who believe that the battle between Harvard and Trump is one whose outcome will affect many parts of life. According to The Washington Post, Larry Sommers, former president of Harvard, believes that the fight between Harvard and Trump is really about whether the federal government can actually use its authority to force private institutions to bow down to its demands.
So far, however, the attacks haven’t worked.
