US freezes $2.3 billion in Harvard funding over refusal to implement policy changes

The US Department of Education has declared that it has frozen almost $2.3 billion in government grants and contracts to Harvard University because the university has not complied with White House directives, such as limiting campus activism and discontinuing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

In a detailed judgment, the task group of the education department said it was freezing $60 million in contract value and $2.2 billion in donations to Harvard University.

In a letter to Harvard on April 11, the Trump administration demanded extensive modifications to its leadership and government, including adjustments to its hiring, admissions, and governance processes.

However, the university rejected the list of broad policy changes.

In an X post on April 14, Harvard University said, “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”

In a letter to the Harvard community on April 11, Harvard University President Alan Garber said that the broad demands violated the university's First Amendment rights and "exceed the statutory limits of the government's authority under Title VI."

The White House had claimed that the policy changes were intended to combat antisemitism on campus.

"Harvard's statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges—that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws," the education department task force on combating antisemitism said in a statement.

In order for Harvard University to continue receiving federal funding, the Trump administration's letter outlined 10 areas for suggested adjustments.

Reducing the influence held by students and untenured faculty members, as well as reporting students who are "hostile" to American ideals to the federal government, are some of the policy reforms.