United States: Trump Administration Contemplates Millions in Cuts to Harvard University's Budget - U.S.: Trump Administration Plans to Slash Millions from Harvard's Funding
The Trump administration has plans to sever all remaining federal funding from prestigious university, Harvard. A high-ranking U.S. official disclosed on Tuesday that federal agencies have been instructed to scrutinize and potentially terminate existing contracts with the Ivy League institution. Estimates suggest this move could lead to a loss of $100 million (approximately €88 million) in federal funding for Harvard.
The anonymous official revealed that federal agencies would be directed to identify all contracts with Harvard and assess their continued necessity. According to U.S. media reports, these cuts could represent a total of $3 billion (around €2.6 billion) from the university, with the funds to be redistributed to trade schools across the nation.
Trump announced his intentions on his Truth Social platform on Monday, stating that the university, which he labeled an "anti-Semitic, left-wing institution," would experience significant federal funding cuts. The university has been a focal point of criticism since the start of the Gaza conflict in October 2023 due to pro-Palestinian demonstrations, as well as its resistance to comply with government demands, such as the elimination of diversity programs and the scrutiny of its students.
Previously, the U.S. government imposed a ban on the admission of international students at Harvard, comprising roughly 27% of the university's population. A U.S. federal judge overturned the restriction via a preliminary injunction, and a hearing for the case is scheduled for Thursday. Currently, there are 549 German students enrolled at Harvard.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) issued a directive asking federal agencies to reconsider all contracts with Harvard and seek alternative vendors, which initiated a withdrawal of federal contracts from the university. The Administration cited discrimination in Harvard’s hiring and admissions practices, as well as its handling of antisemitism on campus and perceived lack of commitment to "national values and priorities," as grounds for cutting federal funding.
Harvard has filed lawsuits challenging these funding cuts, arguing that the government’s actions violate federal law and the university’s First Amendment rights, claiming no connection exists between the cuts and alleged campus antisemitism. The immediate $100 million contract pullback represents a negligible portion of Harvard’s total budget, but ongoing cuts could jeopardize the university’s financial ability to offset lost federal funding in the long term. The loss of federal funds poses a significant risk to critical research contributions in health, science, and national security.
- Harvard University
- Donald Trump
- USA
- Despite facing criticism from Donald Trump, who labeled Harvard as an "anti-Semitic, left-wing institution," the university is currently embroiled in legal battles over the Trump administration's plans to cut federal funding.
- In an attempt to scrutinize and potentially terminate existing contracts with Harvard, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) issued a directive asking federal agencies to reconsider all contracts with the prestigious institution.
- The cutting of federal funds, estimated to be $100 million (approximately €88 million), from Harvard University, as part of policy-and-legislation, could potentially impact education-and-self-development, and general-news, due to the loss of critical research contributions in health, science, and national security.
