The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Monday it is rescinding approximately $60 million in federal grants previously awarded to Harvard University, intensifying a high-profile dispute between the Ivy League institution and the Trump administration over allegations of anti-Semitism, institutional discrimination, and the boundaries of academic freedom.
Citing what it described as Harvard’s “continued failure to address anti-Semitic harassment and race-based discrimination,” the department declared that multiple multi-year grants would be revoked. “Discrimination has no place on taxpayer-funded campuses,” the agency wrote in a statement on X. “Federal funds must support institutions that ensure the safety and dignity of all students.”
The latest grant withdrawal follows a sweeping freeze imposed earlier this year, in which the administration suspended more than $2.2 billion in public research funding to the university. Education Secretary Linda McMahon previously announced that Harvard would no longer qualify for public research grants, accusing the school of undermining the principles of higher education.
“Harvard will now function as a privately-funded institution,” McMahon said in a sharply worded letter, encouraging the university to lean on its substantial endowment and affluent alumni base for financial support.
In response, Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing the funding freeze violates First Amendment protections and oversteps federal authority. The university’s legal team contends that the administration’s actions also breach statutes prohibiting presidential interference in IRS investigations or audits.
University President Alan Garber announced last week that Harvard will allocate $250 million from its own endowment to sustain ongoing research efforts, vowing that the institution remains committed to academic excellence despite the funding challenges.
Tensions between Harvard and the Trump administration have escalated since March, when the president introduced new directives aimed at universities that had hosted pro-Palestinian protests. Trump has labeled such demonstrations “illegal” and charged student organizers with fostering anti-Semitic rhetoric. Protesters, however, have maintained that their actions were peaceful expressions of concern over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and alleged human rights violations.
The initial federal grant freeze was announced in April after Harvard declined to comply with several administration demands, including overhauling its disciplinary procedures, dismantling diversity initiatives, and permitting an external review of campus programs labeled anti-Semitic by the White House.
Critics of elite universities, including Trump and many conservative leaders, have long accused institutions like Harvard of suppressing conservative voices and promoting radical progressive ideologies. The ongoing standoff reflects deeper ideological divides over the role of higher education in American political and cultural discourse.
