Trump Administration Withholds Over $2B from Harvard Following Rejection of White House Terms

US President Donald Trump's administration announced it is withholding over $2 billion in federal funding from Harvard University, hours after the institution rejected a series of White House demands.

"Harvard's statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges," the Department of Education said in a statement.

The White House sent Harvard University a list of demands last week, calling for changes to its governance, hiring practices and admissions procedures. This list builds on an earlier set of demands received on April 3, which directed university officials to shut down diversity offices and collaborate with immigration authorities to screen international students.

Threat to Harvard’s Rights

Harvard President Alan Garber vowed in a letter to students and faculty to resist the government’s demands, stating that the university would not "negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights."

In a post on X on Monday, the university reiterated, "The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government."

The White House claimed that its policy changes aimed to address antisemitism on campus. However, Harvard University President Alan Garber stated in a letter to the Harvard community on Friday that the extensive demands violated the university’s First Amendment rights and "exceed the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI," according to the Associated Press.

The Trump administration’s letter outlined ten categories of proposed changes required for Harvard to continue receiving federal funding.

Trump’s Letter Demands

Harvard is the first major US university to reject the Trump administration’s demands to alter its practices. The significant changes required by the White House would have reshaped its operations and ceded substantial control to the government.

Some of the proposed adjustments included reporting students deemed "hostile" to American ideals to the federal government, ensuring "viewpoint diversity" in each academic department and hiring an external, government‑approved party to evaluate programs and departments identified as contributing most to antisemitic harassment.

The letter directs Harvard to pursue disciplinary action for "violations" during campus protests over the past two years and demands the termination of the university's diversity, equity and inclusion policies and programmes.

Since taking office, Trump has pressed institutions to combat antisemitism and eliminate diversity initiatives.