May 5 (UPI) -- Harvard won't receive any new federal grants until it meets demands from the Trump administration, the Education Department said Monday.
The requirements were spelled in a three-page letter by Education Secretary Linda McMahon to Harvard President Alan M. Garber and later posted on X. She called the demands "common-sense reforms" in blasting the private school for "engaging in a systemic pattern of violating federal law."
"This letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided," she wrote. "Harvard will cease to be a publicly funded institution, and can instead operate as a privately-funded institution, drawing on its colossal endowment, and raising money from its large base of wealthy alumni. You have an approximately $53 Billion head start."
A Harvard spokesperson responded to the letter.
"Today, we received another letter from the administration doubling down on demands that would impose unprecedented and improper control over Harvard University and would have chilling implications for higher education," the spokesperson told Fox News. "Today's letter makes new threats to illegally withhold funding for lifesaving research and innovation in retaliation against Harvard for filing its lawsuit on April 21."
The Trump administration earlier froze $2.2 billion in multi-year federal grants, and President Donald Trump wants to revoke the Ivy League school's tax-exempt status if it doesn't make the changes. Also, the Trump administration has threatened to not allow international students to attend.
"Receiving such taxpayer funds is a privilege, not a right," she wrote. "Yet instead of using these funds to advance the education of its students, Harvard is engaging in a systemic pattern of violating federal law. Where do many of these 'students' come from, who are they, how do they get into Harvard, or even into our country - and why is there so much HATE? These are questions that must be answered, among many more, but the biggest question of all is, why will Harvard not give straightforward answers to the American public?"
An Education Department official told reporters on Monday before the letter was released that Harvard will receive no new federal grants, of more than $1 billion, until it "demonstrates responsible management of the university" and satisfies federal demands on a range of subjects.
"Those investigations would need to lead to resolution agreements that bring Harvard back into compliance with federal law. They could also open up a broader negotiation if they were interested in accelerating that," the official said.
The unnamed person accused Harvard of "serious failures" in four areas: anti-Semitism, racial discrimination, abandonment of rigor and viewpoint diversity.
They include requiring merit-based hiring and admissions, giving foreign students' discipline records and eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
"Harvard University has made a mockery of this country's higher education system," she wrote. "It had invited foreign students, who engage in violent behavior and show contempt for the United States of America, to its campus. In every way, Harvard has failed to abide by its legal obligations, its ethical and fiduciary duties, its transparency responsibilities and any semblance of academic rigor."
In the letter, McMahon criticized Harvard for scrapping standardized testing requirements and a normalized grading system, and adopting "remedial math" for undergraduates.
"Who is getting in under such a low standard when others, with fabulous grades and a great understanding of the highest levels of mathematics, are being rejected?" she wrote.
McMahon noted Harvard has failed to abide by a U.S. Supreme Court opinion in 2023 that ends racial referencing at schools.
She ended the letter: "These requests will advance the best interests of Harvard University, so it can reclaim its status as a respected educational institution for the future leaders of America. Thank you for your attention to the matter!"
It does not apply to federal financial aid students to help cover tuition and fees, including Pell Grants. Tuition at Harvard, which has an enrollment of more than 21,000, was more than $56,000 this year and the total cost of attendance was almost $83,000, according to its financial aid website.
Harvard announced last month that families with incomes of $200,000 and less will not pay tuition.
Harvard sued the Trump administration on April 21 after rejecting a letter on April 11 outlining the demands.
The 51-page lawsuit, which was filed in federal court of its home state of Massachusetts, asks a judge to block the funding freeze, arguing it is "unlawful and beyond the government's authority."
"All told, the tradeoff put to Harvard and other universities is clear: Allow the Government to micromanage your academic institution or jeopardize the institution's ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions," Harvard's lawyers wrote.
Garber, in a letter addressed to the Harvard community with the lawsuit announcement, said the actions "have stark real-life consequences for patients, students, faculty, staff, researchers, and the standing of American higher education in the world."
Teaching hospitals affiliated with Harvard Medical School and/or Harvard University include Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. There are also research and rehabilitation centers associated with Harvard.
The school's endowment is valued at $53.2 billion, but it's considered a long-term investment and not a slush fund.
Harvard is the oldest higher education school in the United States, founded in 1636.
The Trump administration also has paused funding at other private schools, including Columbia, Cornell, Brown and Northwestern.
