Trump admin sets conditions for Harvard to avoid losing billions in federal funds

The Trump administration has laid out conditions for Harvard to have access to federal funding after the Ivy League university allowed rampant antisemitism on campus in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre.

According to a letter addressed to Harvard President Dean Garber obtained by Fox News, White House officials stated Harvard had "fundamentally failed to protect American students and faculty from antisemitic violence and harassment" in violation of the Civil Rights Act. 

The letter, signed by Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at the General Services Administration Josh Gruenbaum, acting general counsel at the Department of Health and Human Services Sean Keveney, and acting general counsel at the Department of Education Thomas Wheeler, stated, "US taxpayers invest enormously in US colleges and universities, including Harvard. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that all recipients are responsible stewards of taxpayer funds.”

The letter said Harvard must ban the use of masks that conceal the identities of protesters and establish a clear "time, place and manner" policy for protests. Harvard was also told to eliminate all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, adopt a "merit-based" admission policy and hiring reform, and end race-based admission practices.

According to the letter, the university must commit to "full cooperation" with the Department of Homeland Security and all other government agencies. Harvard was also instructed to review and make changes to programs and departments that "fuel antisemitic harassment," as well as cooperate with law enforcement. Students must also be held accountable for violations of policy. 

Last week, federal agencies announced a review of approximately $8 billion in "multi-year grant commitments" as part of an investigation by the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism in the school. The review also included another $255 million in contracts. 

The task force told Fox News, "The message is clear: reform is not optional. The era of elite impunity is over. With billions in taxpayer dollars at stake, Harvard must either confront its institutional failures—including its inability to protect students from anti-Semitic abuse—or risk losing funding."

Last month, the Trump administration clawed back over $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University and demanded similar changes so that the school would combat antisemitism that has plagued its campus. 

The efforts are part of President Donald Trump’s executive order to combat the rampant anti-Semitism on US college campuses and streets since October 7, 2023. The US State Department has also revoked approximately 300 visas, many of them held by college students. 

Dozens of universities, including Harvard and Columbia, are being investigated and face an uncertain future in terms of their federal funding.