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«Harvard should no longer seek grants from the federal government as they will not be provided»

2025.05.06

The U.S. Department of Education informed Harvard that it is denied federal grants because the university «betrayed its ideals»

On Monday, the Trump administration, through Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, sent a letter to Harvard President Alan M. Garber, stating that the university will no longer receive federal grants. «With this letter, we want to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek grants from the federal government as they will not be provided», wrote McMahon in the letter.

As reported by The New York Times, the three-page letter, which used capital letters for emphasis, was filled with familiar Trump grievances. It stated that the college «made a mockery of this country's higher education system» and «betrayed its ideals».

The prolonged freezing of new grants could lead to financial chaos for Harvard, which is already developing contingency plans and seeking to raise money through the bond market.

This is the first significant response from the Trump administration since Harvard filed a lawsuit to challenge the government's decision to cut funding for scientific research by billions of dollars after the university refused the demands imposed by the new government.

In a statement made on Monday evening, a Harvard spokesperson said that the letter indicates that the administration «is doubling down on demands that impose unprecedented and improper control over Harvard University and have dire consequences for higher education». The university believes that cutting funding in this way would be illegal.

«Harvard will continue to comply with the law, encourage and promote respect for diversity of viewpoints, and fight against anti-Semitism in our community,» the statement said. «Harvard will also continue to defend itself against unlawful government interference aimed at suppressing research and innovation».

After the administration unexpectedly suspended funding of more than $2 billion, Harvard built its legal case against the government based on the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act, which strictly limits the work of federal agencies.

Previously, the Trump administration sent Harvard a list of demands, including checking professors for plagiarism, reporting to the federal government on all foreign students accused of misconduct, and appointing an external monitor to ensure that academic departments are «diverse in viewpoints».

According to NYT, in the 2024 fiscal year, research funded by the federal budget accounted for about 11% of Harvard's revenue, or approximately $687 million.

Photo: The New York Times

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