The Trump administration is battling higher education. Here’s the list of universities it is targeting.

The Trump administration has set its crosshairs on dozens of universities across the US as part of an effort to crack down on DEI-related initiatives and what the administration has said to be a rampant presence of anti-semitism on campuses.

Already, the administration’s moves to reduce federal spending has had sweeping consequences for America’s higher education institutions.

Universities have implemented hiring freezes or pursued layoffs as billions of dollars worth of funding toward research remains under threat or has been taken away as a result of the White House’s move to downsize or dismantle government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the United States Agency for International Development.

But the administration also has directly threatened several universities to strip them of federal funds, accusing them of failing to properly respond to anti-semitism on campus or participating in “race-exclusionary practices.”

The Department of Education issued a letter in March to 60 higher education institutions, including a few Ivy League schools, warning them of potential probes if they do not do more to protect Jewish students.

Columbia University was stripped of $400 million worth of federal contracts and grants after the Trump administration accused the university of mishandling its response to harassment against Jewish students.

Within weeks, the Ivy League school conceded, by banning masks on campus and hiring more security, in hopes of restoring the contracts.

Here’s a list of notable cases in which the Trump administration targeted higher education institutions and how universities have responded:

Harvard University

The Department of Health and Human Services announced on March 31 that it was conducting a review of $8.9 billion worth of federal contracts and grants.

The Trump administration accused the university of failing to protect its Jewish student body and promoting “divisive ideologies over free inquiry.”

The review is to “ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities,” according to a statement from the Department of Education.”

When the review was announced, Harvard University President Alan M. Garber said in a statement that the school would “engage with members of the federal government’s task force to combat antisemitism.”

Then, on April 14, the university said it was rejecting Trump’s demands, which included cutting its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and restricting acceptance of international students who are “hostile to the American values and institutions.”

“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 inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote in a letter.

About $9 billion in federal grants and contracts is on the line.

On the same day Harvard said it rejected Trump’s demands, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in contract value.

“Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges — that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the administration’s task force to combat antisemitism wrote.

Two days later, on April 16, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the department had rescinded $2.7 million more in grant money from Harvard.

In the same letter, Noem demanded information on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders and threatened to suspend the school’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.

Columbia University

Columbia University was the first Ivy League school the Trump administration targeted over concerns of anti-semitism on university campuses.

The administration announced in a statement that it was canceling about $400 million in federal contracts and grants to Columbia.

The university responded to the funding cuts on March 20 with a list of nine proposals that entailed increasing campus security and stronger enforcement of disciplinary actions, among other actions.

Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, resigned after the university announced its concessions.

Princeton University

Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber said in an announcement that dozens of research grants, including those administered by the Department of Energy, NASA, and the Defense Department, were suspended.

The university leader said in a statement that the “full rationale” of the move was unclear but added that the school was “committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.”

Prior to the announcement, Eisgruber penned an essay in The Atlantic saying the Trump administration’s targeting of universities presents “the greatest threat to American universities since the Red Scare of the 1950s.”

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins said it would get rid of more than 2,200 jobs as a result of the Trump administration’s move to eliminate the US Agency for International Development.

Part of the funding was directed toward work focused on preventing the spread of HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, the university said in a statement.

“Over more than five decades, our colleagues have brought the benefits of research, discovery, and clinical care to mothers, children, and families at home and around the world, from Nepal to Nigeria, from the Western highlands of Guatemala to our hometown of Baltimore,” university president Ron Daniels said.

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan leaders eliminated its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and other related programs.

University leaders said in a statement that the moves come as “federal actions against DEI programming have intensified.”

“These decisions have not been made lightly,” the statement said. “We recognize the changes are significant and will be challenging for many of us, especially those whose lives and careers have been enriched by and dedicated to programs that are now pivoting.”

The school said it would redirect funding towards other “student-facing programs,” including financial aid for lower-income families and mental health services.

University of Pennsylvania

The Trump Administration suspended $175 million in federal contracts from the University of Pennsylvania, citing the participation of a transgender athlete, Lia Thomas, on the women’s swimming team in 2022.

“These contracts include research on preventing hospital-acquired infections, drug screening against deadly viruses, quantum computing, protections against chemical warfare, and student loan programs,” the university’s president, J. Larry Jameson, wrote in a statement at the end of March.

“These stop work orders are in addition to several federal grants that have been cancelled recently, and the slowing down of the award of grants going forward,” Jameson went on. “We are actively pursuing multiple avenues to understand and address these funding terminations, freezes, and slowdowns.”

Brown University

The Trump administration plans to block $510 million in federal contracts and grants for Brown University, citing concerns over antisemitism on campus, a source with knowledge of the issue in the White House confirmed to Business Insider.

If enforced, the funding halt could significantly impact Brown, which received about $184 million in federal grants and contracts in the 2024 fiscal year.

Brown’s provost, Frank Doyle, acknowledged “troubling rumors” about federal action on research grants in an email to campus leaders but said there was no confirmation. The Daily Caller was the first to report the pause.

Brown University responded with Doyle’s email to campus leaders and did not offer further information.

Cornell University

The Trump administration paused $1 billion in federal funding to Cornell University over potential civil rights violations, The New York Times first reported on April 8.

Cornell officials, including President Michael I. Kotlikoff, said in a statement the same day that the university had received 75 stop–work orders from the Department of Defense. The statement said the orders impacted research into new materials for jet engines, space and satellite communications, and cancer research, among other things, calling it “work of significance for our national defense, the competitiveness of our economy, and the health of our citizens.”

“We are actively seeking information from federal officials to learn more about the basis for these decisions,” the statement said, adding, “We are committed to working with our federal partners to continue the contributions made by our scientists and scholars.”

The White House confirmed the pause.

Northwestern University

The Trump administration paused $790 million in federal funding to Northwestern University over potential civil rights violations as well, The New York Times first reported on April 8.

Northwestern officials said in a statement that day they found out about the finding freeze through the media and that the university had not been notified by the government.

“We are working closely with members of our Board, deans, and our administration to assess the impact of these actions. We will continue to keep both affected individuals and the broader community informed as the implications of these actions become clearer,” the statement said.

The White House confirmed the freeze.

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