The Trump administration seeks to eliminate the remaining federal funds for Harvard. - Federal support for Harvard is set to be diminished by the Trump administration.
The Trump Administration has announced plans to cut off remaining federal funds from Harvard University, prompting a legal challenge from the prestigious Ivy League institution.
According to an anonymous official, the administration will instruct federal agencies to identify all contracts with Harvard and assess their potential termination or repurposing. This decision comes after Trump called for the withholding of approximately three billion dollars from the university, intending to redirect the funds to trade schools nationwide. So far, the administration has already cut multi-year federal grants to Harvard totaling 2.2 billion dollars.
The administration's move to strip funding from Harvard follows Trump's labeling of the university as an "antisemitic, left-wing institution." He cites pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023 and Harvard's refusal to comply with government demands such as eliminating diversity programs and scrutinizing its students.
Additionally, the U.S. government barred Harvard from admitting new international students in May 2025, a move that was later overturned by a federal judge. The Trump Administration is yet to comply with the judge's decision, with a hearing scheduled for Thursday. As of now, there are 549 German students enrolled at Harvard.
Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the administration, arguing that the funding cuts and government actions violate federal law and the University's First Amendment rights. The lawsuit was amended in late May 2025 to address additional funding terminations and includes agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Defense Department, National Science Foundation, and Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This decision from the Trump Administration has led to an ongoing legal battle between the two parties, with Harvard emphasizing the impact on research and academic freedom. The litigation was initiated in April 2025, and legal proceedings, including injunctions, are still ongoing as of May 2025.
[Sources: 1, 2, 3]
- The Trump Administration's decision to cut off remaining federal funds from Harvard University has prompted a legal challenge from the prestigious Ivy League institution, as the Administration aims to redirect the funds to trade schools nationwide, as part of its policy-and-legislation focused on education-and-self-development.
- The ongoing legal battle between Harvard and the Trump Administration has been fueled by the Administration's withholding of approximately three billion US dollars from Harvard, a move that the university argues violates federal law and its First Amendment rights, as the Administration alleges the university's stance on certain issues, such as pro-Palestinian demonstrations, constitute antisemitic and left-wing practices.
- The US media continues to follow the proceedings of the litigation between Harvard and the Trump Administration, with the latest development being the amendment to the lawsuit in late May 2025, which includes agencies like the National Institutes of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Defense Department, National Science Foundation, and Department of Housing and Urban Development, in response to further funding terminations.
