'Troubling entitlement mindset': Trump administration freezes $2.3 bn funding to Harvard over DEI programmes

The US Department of Education has frozen $2.3 billion in funding to Harvard University after the institution rejected demands from the Trump administration to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes. 

This freeze includes $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in federal contracts, reflecting what officials described as "the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities."

The development came after the Trump administration sent a letter on Friday to Harvard that added to a list of demands that it said were meant to fight antisemitism on campus, including changes to governance, hiring practices, and admissions procedures. 

Harvard President Alan Garber, in response, accused the administration of overreach, asserting, "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 enquiry they can pursue." 

Garber's rejection emphasises the university's belief that the demands violate the First Amendment and exceed federal authority under Title VI.

The funding freeze is part of a broader effort targeting elite institutions, with similar actions taken against the University of Pennsylvania, Brown, and Princeton. 

The tactics mirror those that had previously compelled Columbia University to adjust its policies following a similar funding threat. Harvard's stance marks a firm stand against the administration's repeated efforts to influence academic policies and practices.

Harvard has acknowledged implementing extensive reforms to address antisemitism but insists that these changes should be initiated internally, not through "government edict." 

"These ends will not be achieved by assertions of power, unmoored from the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard," Garber added, reaffirming the university's autonomy in addressing its issues.

The Department of Education's task force has criticised Harvard's resistance as reflective of an entitlement mentality, suggesting that the university is unwilling to address criticism without external pressure. 

The letter said that Harvard "in recent years failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment."

Garber countered with a reminder that "the work of addressing our shortcomings... is ours to define and undertake as a community." In addressing federal pressure, Harvard maintains that its independence and commitment to academic freedom are paramount.