Trump administration freezes $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard over campus activism

At least someone is taking a stand. Raises my respect for Harvard considerably.

“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,” Garber wrote, adding that the university had taken extensive reforms to address antisemitism.

A thousand times this. And by the way, after his "Trump U" scam, Trump is especially in no position to say anything about universities, ever.

A thousand times this. And by the way, after his "Trump U" scam, Trump is especially in no position to say anything about universities, ever.

Good, then the administration can save millions on taxpayers funding it, what a relief.

Good, then the administration can save millions on taxpayers funding it, what a relief.

As a man who dropped out of middle school, what is your opinion on universities?

Yep just saved 9 billion tax payer dollars, that’s great!

Trump demanding private universities bend to his will or lose grants. I guess he's still sore from his failed Trump University.

No $9 billion savings so far and a court case will follow soon.

BlacklabelToday 07:39 am JST

Yep just saved 9 billion tax payer dollars, that’s great!

As usual, the courts will decide that. And you won't be seeing any of that money.

I especially liked this part, "A letter the Trump administration sent to Harvard on Friday demanded that the university reduce the power of students and faculty members over the university’s affairs; report foreign students who commit conduct violations immediately to federal authorities; and bring in an outside party to ensure that each academic department is “viewpoint diverse,” among other steps. - NYTs

This, from the party of "small government".

As usual, the courts will decide that. And you won't be seeing any of that money.

so you support giving 9 billion in taxpayer money to Harvard, that puts Americans into significant student debt to get mostly worthless degrees?

Good, then the administration can save millions on taxpayers funding it, what a relief.

And by saving you mean wasting it, since research projects that would produce a lot of value will have to be abandoned and all the money used simply wasted.

Money invested in research is not a waste, and stopping the grants have a much higher cost than whatever money is "saved", this is more similar to leaving your house half built and saying you saved half of the costs.

so you support giving 9 billion in taxpayer money to Harvard, that puts Americans into significant student debt to get mostly worthless degrees?

You seem to have a really bad understanding of what grants are and how they are used.

In reality this is a well described effort to cripple the US in one of the things that took more time, money and effort to develop and that is responsible for the advantages it had internationally, the US is now accepting it is a de-developing country that can't invest in the "luxury" of research since the money has to be used to support the needs of billionaires.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01146-4

so you support giving 9 billion in taxpayer money to Harvard, that puts Americans into significant student debt to get mostly worthless degrees?

I fully encourage MAGA's efforts to get rid of scientists and intellectuals in general. Europe will greatly benefit from the incurring human capital flight and the US will proudly become an academic third world country as it loses its edge in all STEM and higher education fields. Of course at some point the MAGA loons will realize not having doctors, engineers, researchers or architects is a bad thing, but at that point it will be too late and we will all just point and laugh.

So Trump University is the "gold standard" for Harvard to emulate! LOL!

Oohhh the so called freedom that US boast itself is again a pathetic hypocrite lie..

Again MAGA fascist regime against education, science, arts, free speech, social freedoms, diversity and women..

Keep sinking..

As a man who dropped out of middle school,

Well, sorry to hear that, but you can always take your GED never too late.

what is your opinion on universities?

Liberal ones are not good and overrated for the most part.

I fully encourage MAGA's efforts to get rid of scientists and intellectuals in general. Europe will greatly benefit from the incurring human capital flight and the US will proudly become an academic third world country as it loses its edge in all STEM and higher education fields.

Just like America, not everyone wants to move to Europe, dear lord...

Of course at some point the MAGA loons will realize not having doctors, engineers, researchers or architects is a bad thing, but at that point it will be too late and we will all just point and laugh.

Ok, relax, that is just not going to happen, you know that and I know that, back to reality now.

Blacklabel

As usual, the courts will decide that. And you won't be seeing any of that money.

> so you support giving 9 billion in taxpayer money to Harvard, that puts Americans into significant student debt to get mostly worthless degrees?

What was your university and worthless degree?

Many employers do not consider a Harvard degree worthless and will pay more salary.

So only students who can afford to pay the fees up front should go to universities. There won't be many left.

More Trump interference in private universities.

Universities not 'sanctuary' cities and those on student Visas are guests of US, conditioned on good behavior, including not supporting known terrorist groups.

SCOTUS has just given DJT broad powers to enforce the Enemies Alien Act, conduct foreign policy regarding non-citizens in the US, 9-0 vote.

If Harvard attempts to pursue a lawless approach and ignore the above SCOTUS ruling, DJT will take action, including cutting off $Federal Funds.

DJT happy to have a political fight, as MOST US citizens do not want 'Risky' foreign students knowingly de-stabilizing US, committing crimes etc., = Common Sense

More Trump interference in private universities.

Then don't ask for government money.

Harvard should troll him back and say "we'll comply with your demands when you release your grades from Wharton"

Many students borrow to fund a portion of their college expenses. Each year, 30 to 40 percent of all undergraduate students take federal student loans; 70 percent of students who receive a bachelor's degree have education debt by the time they graduate.

46.2 million borrowers have federal student debt as of the second quarter of fiscal year 2023. That's up from 45.3 million as of the second quarter of fiscal year 2022. 0.65% of student loans are 90 days or more delinquent as of the second quarter of 2024.

Many students borrow to fund a portion of their college expenses. Each year, 30 to 40 percent of all undergraduate students take federal student loans; 70 percent of students who receive a bachelor's degree have education debt by the time they graduate.

46.2 million borrowers have federal student debt as of the second quarter of fiscal year 2023. That's up from 45.3 million as of the second quarter of fiscal year 2022. 0.65% of student loans are 90 days or more delinquent as of the second quarter of 2024.

I personally don't feel sorry for anyone who borrows money, I think it is outrageous that these institutions raise the fees of their loans, but if you can't afford it, then you don't go, until you know you can afford it.

Universities not 'sanctuary' cities and those on student Visas are guests of US, conditioned on good behavior, including not supporting known terrorist groups.

There is exactly zero evidence of any support to terrorist groups, disapproving a war and supporting terrorists are two completely different things.

Pretending the effort to de-develop the country is justified on false assumptions is deeply irrational and well recognized as such. As usual when you have scientists on one side and politicians on the other choosing to support the politicians is too obviously the immoral choice.

Then don't ask for government money.

And let the country regress? that seems to be the whole purpose.

Ok, relax, that is just not going to happen,

It's already happening.

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/10/1243870139/academics-fleeing-the-us-for-europe

https://gizmodo.com/we-are-witnessing-a-new-brain-drain-as-scientists-flee-america-for-france-2000575654

bass4funkToday 10:38 am JST

So literally nobody gets to go to college unless they can pay upfront. It's a good thing you aren't president or we would see MAGA tanking faster than it already is.

People ought pull their money out of the bank,and cause a bank run as a protest, against Trump policies

If students were unable to secure loans more than 50% of universities would close.

Everyone knows Harvard just lost badly at SCOTUS regarding their affirmative action policies they formerly used when dealing with student admission applications.

DJT ready to go toe to toe with Harvard, Govt's got a lot of lawyers and $firepower to make sure Universities are not 'rogue' and 'lawless' Sanctuaries, but rather in FULL Compliance with the Laws of the land = Common Sense

Everyone knows Harvard just lost badly at SCOTUS regarding their affirmative action policies they formerly used when dealing with student admission applications.

So you think this somehow justify throwing away billions of dollars and years of efforts interrupting currently active research projects?

You seem perfectly onboard with wasting money as long as this punishes universities for having autonomy, specially after you were unable to defend in any way your baseless accusation of support of terrorism.

It's already happening. 

2 people or is it in the thousands?

If students were unable to secure loans more than 50% of universities would close.

No, they have enough endowments.

University

Endowment (USD)

Harvard University

$51.98 billion

Yale University

$41.44 billion

Princeton University

$34.05 billion

University of Pennsylvania

$22.35 billion

Columbia University

$14.78 billion

Cornell University

$10.66 billion

Dartmouth College

$8.27 billion

Brown University

$6.14 billion

So No, they don’t need more money from the taxpayers

So literally nobody gets to go to college unless they can pay upfront.

Or if they can pay back

It's a good thing you aren't president or we would see MAGA tanking faster than it already is.

Quite the opposite actually.

It's my understanding that Harvard is the best law school in the USA, and possibly the world. It doesn't seem like the best idea to pick a fight with them.

Tied for #6, actually.

should freeze their funding any start taxing their endowment.

2 people or is it in the thousands?

Maybe read the provided links instead of asking dumb questions. Here's some more.

https://futurism.com/neoscope/nobel-winning-scientist-researchers-fleeing-us-trump

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/doge-cuts-science-america-nasa-b2722946.html

Day by day Idiocracy is becoming a documentary.

bass4funk

If students were unable to secure loans more than 50% of universities would close.

No, they have enough endowments.

Endowments are for the university, not the students. If students could not secure loans the student numbers would drop below 50% forcing their closures in many cases.

So No, they don’t need more money from the taxpayers

Yes they do, since endowments function for complementing grants towards very specific purposes, there is no mechanism where endowments can replace even a fraction of what grants are used.

If the US wants to keeps its place at the front of scientific progress then it definitely needs the funds that make it possible, but if the country concedes that it no longer can afford to lead then it is understandable that it is being forced to recognize this inability.

In this aspect Europe (and in much more limited scale countries in other regions as well) will reap the benefits of this planned degradation of the main American advantage.

American universities about to start nose diving down the international rankings thanks to Trump. Good opportunity for universities in other countries.

Gotta respect Harvard for taking a stand on this though.

This is like Japanese cops focusing there investigations on bicycle violations than real crimes. It is just low hanging fruit!

Yes all these activist protesters masquerading as students can attend foreign colleges instead please.

Yes all these activist protesters masquerading as students can attend foreign colleges instead please.

"You can't be a student and have an protest at the same time!!!"

...what?

Yes all these activist protesters masquerading as students can attend foreign colleges instead please.

So activism and protests are justification to kick people out of the country? and yet free speech is supposedly sacred? huge example of cognitive dissonance.

Endowments are for the university,

Yes, so if these institutions won’t protect Jewish students, then they should not get one dime of Federal money.

not the students. If students could not secure loans the student numbers would drop below 50% forcing their closures in many cases.

Again, if you don’t have your financial responsibilities in order, then either wait or don’t go. No one should be responsible for paying off someone else’s debt.