US Slashes Additional Funding to Harvard Over Discrimination Allegations

The United States government on Tuesday announced an additional $450 million in funding cuts to Harvard University, citing alleged discrimination, despite recent attempts by the school’s leadership to align with the Trump administration on several issues.

The Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that federal agencies were halting the grants due to what they described as a “dark problem” of discrimination at the university. This comes on top of $2.2 billion in funding that was already slashed last week.

Harvard, one of the world’s most prestigious universities, is currently challenging the funding cuts in court, arguing that the government’s actions are an unlawful attempt to interfere with the institution’s autonomy.

The Trump administration has intensified scrutiny on U.S. universities, citing concerns over rising antisemitism and the use of diversity initiatives that it argues unfairly prioritize identity over merit.

In a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday, Harvard President Alan Garber said the university and the administration “share common ground on a number of critical issues.” He noted that Harvard had implemented reforms following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which had led to heightened tensions and controversy on campus.

“The challenges of that academic year have led to meaningful reform and recommendations designed to eliminate antisemitism and other forms of hate from our campus,” Garber wrote.

Despite these efforts, one NIH grant was terminated with administrators stating there was “no corrective action possible,” according to a legal filing Tuesday. This marked a rare instance in which an institution was denied the opportunity to address concerns before funding was revoked.

While denying any political bias, Garber acknowledged the importance of intellectual diversity and said student recruitment is based on individual merit rather than race.

However, Trump’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism strongly criticized the university in a statement Tuesday, accusing it of fostering a culture of discrimination and superficial virtue signaling.

“Harvard, and its leadership group who are tainted by the egregious infractions under its watch, faces a steep, uphill battle to reclaim its legacy as a lawful institution and center of academic excellence,” the task force said.

The university’s internal investigation reportedly revealed that Jewish students had been subjected to frequent verbal abuse, physical assault, and intimidation on campus.