Harvard University rejects Trump administration's demands, risking billions in funding

Harvard University is refusing to comply with a series of demands from the Trump administration, potentially risking billions in federal funding.

In a letter on Monday, Harvard University President Alan Garber said the school "will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights" by agreeing to a series of terms proposed by the Trump administration.

The Trump administration demanded Harvard end its diversity, equity and inclusion programs, adopt merit-based admissions and cooperate with immigration authorities -- or risk losing $9 billion in federal funding. Garber at the time said the loss of funding would "halt life-saving research."

Harvard's rejection of Trump's demands marks the first time a majority university has pushed back against funding threats made by the Trump administration.

In a letter Friday, the Trump administration argued that the school "failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment" and proposed terms including changing the school's governance, adopting merit-based hiring, shuttering any DEI programs and allowing "audits" to ensure "viewpoint diversity."

In response, Harvard's president said the school is committed to making changes to create a "welcoming and supportive learning environment" and reaffirmed the school's vow to fight antisemitism. However, he argued the Trump administration's requests would go too far.

PHOTO: A person runs past Elliot House at Harvard University, March 17, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

PHOTO: A person runs past Elliot House at Harvard University, March 17, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

"The administration's prescription goes beyond the power of the federal government. It violates Harvard's First Amendment rights and exceeds the statutory limits of the government's authority under Title VI," Garber wrote. "And it threatens our values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge. No government -- regardless of which party is in power -- should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue."

The confrontation follows similar actions against other prestigious universities. Last month, Columbia University agreed to comply with the administration's demands regarding campus policies and governance after its federal funding was suspended following campus protests. The agreement came after the administration cited concerns about antisemitism and public safety.

The Department of Education has also initiated investigations into Cornell University and Northwestern University, according to White House officials. The Trump administration has halted more than $1 billion in federal funding to Cornell and $790 million to Northwestern due to investigations into alleged civil rights violations.