Trump Cracks Down on Ivy League Funding: Billions at Stake for Top Universities

The Trump administration has fired a major shot across the bow of America’s elite universities, announcing the freeze of more than $2.2 billion in federal funding for Harvard University. The move, revealed in mid-April, is part of a broad crackdown that could see another $1 billion in grants and support withheld from other top institutions.

Harvard, not one to back down from a fight, has responded by taking the administration to court, calling the funding freeze "unlawful and beyond the government’s authority." The White House, meanwhile, insists that Harvard’s "gravy train of federal assistance" is screeching to a halt.

But Harvard isn’t alone in the crosshairs. Columbia University in New York City is also facing a freeze—about $400 million hangs in the balance. In response, Columbia expelled or suspended students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and agreed to new oversight measures, including stricter controls over its Middle Eastern studies department and a ban on masks that conceal identity on campus.

Acting president Claire Shipman, however, maintains that Columbia will resist any pressure to give up its independence as a university, even while working with the administration’s Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism.

The crackdown doesn’t stop there. Cornell University could lose over $1 billion, and Northwestern University faces a freeze on about $790 million, both as a result of ongoing investigations into alleged civil rights violations. Northwestern called the developments "deeply disturbing" and warned of impacts on vital research and the university community at large.

Even Brown University is at risk, with $510 million in funding possibly headed for the chopping block amid allegations of antisemitism. The University of Pennsylvania is also feeling the heat, seeing about $175 million in federal funds frozen. The White House cited the school's decision to allow Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, to compete in women’s swimming as a key reason for the pause.

Harvard’s refusal to comply with the administration’s demands—especially new ones that go beyond antisemitism, such as eliminating all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and auditing campus viewpoints—has escalated the standoff. President Alan M. Garber argued these requirements are unconstitutional and would amount to direct government control of campus thought.

The Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, created in February, has called on elite universities to "take the problem seriously" and make "meaningful change" if they want to keep receiving taxpayer support. For now, the standoff between the Trump administration and some of the country’s most storied schools shows no sign of cooling off. If you thought finals week was stressful, try squaring off with the federal government over a couple billion dollars.