Government launches review of Harvard's $9 billion in federal funds

The federal government says it's looking into nearly $9 billion in federal grants and commitments made to Harvard University

The Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. General Services Administration announced a review of Harvard's federal contracts and grants

ensuring the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities

The review is part of efforts by the Joint Task Force to combat anti-Semitism

created by President Trump's executive order to investigate higher education institutions with alleged civil rights violations

after the Hamas terror attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. Harvard is the country's wealthiest college, having more than $53 billion in its endowment as of the last fiscal year

The probe comes after the anti-Semitism task force canceled $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University

The Ivy League institutions acting president stepped down after it announced changes to its policies and procedures

and the Trump administration agreed to restore funding. In January, Harvard University agreed to settle two lawsuits

in which Jewish students claimed the university wasn't doing enough to protect them from pro-Palestinian protesters on campus last spring

Harvard's failure to protect students on campus from anti-Semitic discrimination, all while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry has put its reputation in serious jeopardy Harvard can write these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence

and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe on its campus. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement

Harvard's president, Alan Garber, responded to the investigation saying, If the funding is stopped, it will halt life-saving research and imperil important scientific

research and innovation, adding, For the past 15 months, we have devoted considerable effort to addressing anti-Semitism

We have strengthened our rules and our approach to disciplining those who violate them

We have enhanced training and education on anti-Semitism across our campus and introduce measures to support our Jewish community and ensure student safety and security

The Anti-Defamation League recently released its campus report cards on anti-Semitism and graded Harvard a C, up from an F in the year 2025

saying the university still needs to make corrections. Those corrections, according to the ADL

are what it calls hostile anti-Zionist student government activity, student groups, and faculty and staff

The Institute for Middle East Understanding says the ADL weaponizes accusations of anti-Semitism because, quote

it falsely conflates criticism of Israel and anti-Zionism with anti-Jewish bigotry. For Shaderu news, I'm Lauren Taylor

For more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit SAN.N.com