Trump ramps up fight with Harvard with threat to its accreditation, potentially jeopardizing its student aid
Share this @internewscast.com

The Trump administration has intensified its conflict with Harvard University, with federal agencies notifying the New England Commission of Higher Education that the Ivy League school might no longer fulfill accreditation standards due to breaches of federal antidiscrimination regulations.

The Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services issued a letter to NECHE on Wednesday, indicating that it must collaborate with Harvard to address these violations or revoke the 388-year-old institution’s accreditation.

“Harvard has been — and is — deliberately indifferent to the severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive harassment of Jewish and Israeli students by its own students and faculty,” stated Paula M. Stannard, Director of the HHS Office of Civil Rights, in the letter.


Photo of Donald Trump at a press conference.
Federal agencies under President Trump have written to Harvard University’s accreditor, saying it should lose its status due to violations of federal antidiscrimination laws. AFP via Getty Images

“By allowing antisemitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

In addition to signaling that an institution of higher learning meets certain quality and integrity standards, accreditation “is required for institutions to receive federal financial aid, including student loans and grants,” according to NECHE.

“When an institution — no matter how prestigious — abandons its mission and fails to protect its students, it forfeits the legitimacy that accreditation is designed to uphold,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.

The missive follows a shot across the bow fired last month by Trump’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, which warned Harvard president Alan Garber that the university was in violation of federal civil rights laws over campus antisemitism and that its federal funding was at risk.

“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” the June 30 letter said.

The letter was accompanied by a 57-page report by HHS detailing its findings resulting from 50 “listening sessions” held with Jewish Harvard students, which the agency alleges constitutes a “pattern of unlawful and unchecked discrimination” at the university.

After the letter was sent, the Commission put out a fact sheet explaining how the accreditation process works, noting that the federal government cannot actually force it to withdraw a university’s accreditation.

“The Commission’s policies and procedures, in accord with federal regulation, give institutions up to four years to come into compliance when found by the Commission to be out of compliance, which can be extended for good cause. Institutions in a non-compliance status remain accredited during this period of time,” The Hill reported.


Harvard University campus buildings.
The Cambridge, Mass.-based Ivy League has been engaged in a monthslong battle with Trump over antisemitism on campus. IBRESTER – stock.adobe.com

In a statement to The Post, a Harvard spokesman said the university has “taken substantive, proactive steps to address the root causes of antisemitism in its community,” highlighting the sharing of its recent Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias Report, as well as “strengthened policies, disciplined those who violate them, encouraged civil discourse, and promoted open, respectful dialogue,” the statement read.

“Harvard has made significant strides to combat bigotry, hate and bias. We are not alone in confronting this challenge and recognize that this work is ongoing. “

Last month, the DOE sent a similar letter to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an accrediting institution that Columbia University belongs to, saying it, too, should lose its accreditation over its failure to contain antisemitism on its campus in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood.

The Trump administration also slapped Harvard with a subpoena Wednesday as part of its probe into the school’s foreign student exchange program — with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claiming the institution has “allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus.”

Trump had said he wants to curtail its admission of international students, which the Wall Street Journal estimates could cost the school $90 million a year in lost tuition.

A federal judge issued a temporary injunction on the ban last month, which the administration has vowed to appeal.

The administration has also yanked some $3.2 billion in federal contracts and grants from Harvard, and pulled around $700 million in federal research funds.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Texas officials are trying to figure out who's really missing from the floods

Texas Authorities Seek to Identify True Missing Persons Amid Floods

This week in Texas, estimates indicate that 161 people are still missing…
ABC News holds NAHJ reception at ABC7 Chicago amid 2025 National Association of Hispanic Journalists Conference and Expo

ABC News Hosts Reception in Chicago for Hispanic Journalists During 2025 NAHJ Conference and Expo

Journalists from across the nation have gathered in Chicago this week to…
Pennsylvania man who showed father's severed head on YouTube said he wanted to block him from being next Trump

Pennsylvania Man Displayed Father’s Severed Head on YouTube to Prevent His Political Rise

The Pennsylvania man accused of murdering his father and then uploading a…
SBU Colonel Ivan Voronych, 50, was shot dead by a masked assassin in Kyiv

Putin Supporters Celebrate Bold Daytime Assassination of Ukrainian Spy Chief, Hint at Kremlin Involvement

VLADIMIR Putin’s associates have openly celebrated the bold assassination of the Ukrainian…
FBI arrests self-proclaimed hate crime victim for allegedly setting deadly house fire

FBI Detains Alleged Hate Crime Victim Accused of Setting Fatal House Fire

The FBI in Houston, Texas, has recently reported the arrest of a…
New Hampshire judge to hear arguments on class action against Trump’s birthright citizenship order

New Hampshire Court to Review Class Action Lawsuit Challenging Trump’s Order on Birthright Citizenship

A federal judge in New Hampshire is set to hear arguments on…
A Texas family clung to life on their roof, capturing the terrifying flooding in photos and video

Texas Family Documents Harrowing Flood Experience from Their Rooftop in Photos and Video

Jane Towler found herself awake in a small cabin by the Guadalupe…
Las Vegas security guard Kegia Mitchell sentenced for killing customer Thomas Martin over COVID-19 protocols

Las Vegas Security Officer Kegia Mitchell Sentenced for Fatal Incident Involving COVID-19 Protocols

A security guard from Las Vegas received a prison sentence ranging from…
Yikes: DNC Chair Ken Martin Makes Things Even Worse for Dems When Asked About 'Globalize the Intifada'

DNC Leader Ken Martin Puts Dems in Hot Water with Remarks on ‘Globalize the Intifada’

Those questions about New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani might have…
Ford recalls 850K vehicles over fuel pump failure

Ford Issues Recall for 850,000 Vehicles Due to Fuel Pump Problems

Ford Motor is recalling over 850,000 vehicles in the USA due to…
Moderna Vaccine Dangers: What You Should Know

Understanding the Risks Associated with the Moderna Vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Moderna’s COVID-19…
Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order in NH

Judge Halts Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Proposal in New Hampshire

The class action lawsuit covers all children who will be affected by…