Trump administration cancels additional $450 million grant to Harvard

In response to the funding cuts, Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the administration.

May 13, 2025 09:58 PM IST

2 min read

Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it will terminate an additional $450 million in federal grants to Harvard University. (AP)

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday it will terminate an additional $450 million in federal grants to Harvard University. This follows last week’s decision to cut $2.2 billion in federal funding.

According to a task force on anti-semitism, the move comes in response to what it described as Harvard’s failure to address “pervasive race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment” on campus. “There is a dark problem on Harvard’s campus, and by prioritising appeasement over accountability, institutional leaders have forfeited the school’s claim to taxpayer support,” the task force said in a joint statement, as per Reuters reports.

Harvard University did not immediately comment on the announcement. In response to the funding cuts, Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the administration. The university has argued that the administration’s demands including restructuring its governance, changing hiring and admissions practices, and terminating certain academic programs are illegal.

The Trump administration has been at odds with Harvard University, freezing nearly $2.3 billion in funding due to the university’s alleged failure to address widespread anti-Semitism on campus. According to reports, US officials demanded Harvard overhaul its governance, eliminate diversity programs, and enforce “viewpoint diversity” among faculty and students.

Harvard rejected these demands, citing concerns over academic freedom. As a result, the administration has threatened to cut federal funding, with some officials suggesting Harvard rely on its substantial $53.2 billion endowment and wealthy alumni for financial support. Harvard has pushed back, filing a lawsuit against the administration and arguing the funding cuts are unlawful.

The US Department of Education informed Harvard last week that it would freeze billions of dollars in future research grants and other financial support unless the university agrees to the administration’s requests.

(With agency inputs)

From the homepage