Trump administration cancels another $450 million in grants to Harvard

The administration of the US President Donald Trump has cut another $450 million in grant funding to Harvard University.

The Financial Times writes about this.

The US government said Harvard had failed to address “racial discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment” allegedly thriving on campus, leading to the suspension of funding from eight federal agencies — a total of about $450 million.

The decision further inflames the standoff between Harvard and Trump, who earlier this month announced his intention to eliminate the universityʼs tax breaks. The administration also said Harvard would no longer be eligible for new federal research grants.

The White House Anti-Semitic Task Force, created this year after Trumpʼs executive order, said in a statement that Harvardʼs leadership "has lost its right to taxpayer support".

What preceded

In March, the US government said it would review $9 billion in funding for Harvard over alleged anti-Semitism, which escalated after student protests against Palestinian rights. A Department of Education task force accused the university of abusing its position and “believing that federal funding does not obligate them to comply with civil rights laws”.

They demanded that activistsʼ influence be limited, that an independent commission be created to review faculties, that faculty and students be hired solely on merit, without regard to race, color, or nationality, and that violations by international students be reported.

Harvard University rejected the Trump administrationʼs demands and lost $2.2 billion in funding as a result. The university filed a lawsuit.

• In November 2023, more than 1 600 Jewish alumni stopped donating to Harvard University due to anti-Semitism at rallies in support of Palestine.
• In January 2024, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned amid allegations of plagiarism and a lackluster response to anti-Semitism at the institution.
• That same month, several Jewish students filed a lawsuit against the institution, accusing it of tolerating harassment, assault, and intimidation of students of Jewish origin.

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