University Finances
Eliot Renovations To Proceed As Planned Amid Funding Uncertainty
Renovations to Eliot House are on schedule to begin after Commencement and conclude by fall 2027 — despite financial uncertainty causing the University to tighten its belt.
Title VI: An Old Law Is a New Tool in the War for Harvard
In the Trump administration’s campaign to punish colleges and universities for their response to pro-Palestine protests, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act has emerged as the clear legal weapon of choice.
Harvard Agrees to a 1-Year $6 Million PILOT Agreement With the City of Cambridge
Harvard University has agreed to voluntarily pay the City of Cambridge $6 million without committing to a long-term amount for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, citing federal funding uncertainties.
Trump Cut Federal Funding to Penn for Transgender Athlete Policies. Could Harvard Be Next?
After the White House suspended $175 million of the University of Pennsylvania’s federal funding last week over the participation of a transgender athlete on the school’s swim team, the funding cut’s legal basis remains murky — and Harvard could be next on the list.
As Trump Slashes Federal Grants, the Harvard School of Public Health Has the Most To Lose
As President Donald Trump escalates his attacks on universities’ access to federal research funding, the Harvard School of Public Health has felt the pain especially acutely.
Harvard Law School Students Pass Referendum Urging University To Divest From Israel
The Harvard Law School student body voted on Thursday to call on the University to divest from Israel — delivering a decisive endorsement of language that Law School administrators harshly criticized before it went up for a vote.
Faculty of Arts and Sciences Will Keep Budget Flat, Stop Staff Hiring for Fiscal Year 2026
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences will aim to keep spending flat for fiscal year 2026 amid threats from the Trump administration and long-term financial concerns, according to budget guidance shared by FAS financial officers in early February.
Trump Wants To Dismantle the Education Department. What Would That Mean for Harvard?
Since his first term in the White House, President Donald Trump has set his sights on shuttering the Department of Education. Now, as the administration has cut hundreds of millions of dollars in its funding and fired more than half of its workforce, he is getting closer to his goal.
Faculty Searches in Limbo As Freeze Interrupts Hiring Processes Across Harvard
Harvard’s imposition of a hiring freeze on Monday morning interrupted faculty hiring processes across the University, leaving professors scrambling to figure out how to fill vacancies — and how to keep their departments’ work running if they can’t.
Harvard Freezes Hiring Amid Anxiety Over Trump
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 announced a University-wide staff and faculty hiring freeze in a message to Harvard affiliates Monday morning, citing uncertainty under the Trump administration.
Trump Slashes $400 Million in Federal Funding for Columbia, Sending Shock Waves Across Higher Ed
The Trump administration announced Friday it would slash $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University in the most drastic escalation yet of the White House’s campaign against pro-Palestine protests at elite colleges.
General Atlantic Co-President Martín Escobari ’94 Appointed to Harvard Management Company Board
The Harvard Corporation appointed Martín Escobari ’94, co-president and head of global growth equity at the firm General Atlantic, to Harvard Management Company’s board of directors, the University announced on Wednesday.
Hoekstra Tells FAS To ‘Prepare for Significant Financial Challenges’ Amid Uncertainty From Washington
Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra told faculty on Tuesday that she has instructed FAS officials “to prepare for significant financial challenges” and “build financial capacity” as President Donald Trump ramps up threats to Harvard’s funding.
Harvard Re-Enters Debt Market With $450 Million Bond Sale
Harvard University will re-enter the debt market this week, issuing $450 million in tax-exempt bonds to “finance and refinance certain capital projects,” according to a preliminary official statement released on Thursday.
Harvard Received $151 Million From Foreign Governments Since January 2020
Harvard received more than $100 million in donations from government sources in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bangladesh in the last four years, according to data released by the Department of Education.
‘We Should Not Be an Institution That Operates Out of Fear’: Khurana Praises Diversity Amid Trump Threats
Outgoing Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana affirmed the importance of diversity at Harvard in a Friday interview amid President Donald Trump’s ongoing battle against universities’ diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Amid Harvard’s Protracted PILOT Negotiations, Other Ivies’ Agreements May Offer Roadmap
In a recent Cambridge City Council meeting, the tensions underlying negotiations between Harvard and the city over its Payment in Lieu of Taxes program came to the surface in a half-serious threat: opening up a sewer line running under Harvard, a certain nightmare for the University.
Senate Committee Targets $3 Million in Harvard NSF Research Grants for ‘Far-Left Ideology’
A Senate Commerce Committee report released last week labeled more than $3 million in federal grants to Harvard researchers as advancing DEI initiatives or “neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda."
Harvard Management Company Bets on Big Tech at End of 2024
The Harvard Management Company increased its exposure to Big Tech in its directly held stock portfolio during the final months of 2024, adding new positions in Apple, Amazon, Tesla, and Microsoft while reinforcing its already substantial investment in Meta.
Advocates Raise Concerns As Boston PILOT Report Remains Unreleased
While property taxes comprise nearly three quarters of Boston’s revenue, nonprofits are exempt from paying this tax. Instead, the PILOT program asks large non-profits to voluntarily pay a portion of what they would have otherwise paid in property taxes. The 2024 report on contributions has yet to be released.
Federal Judge Says Trump Violated Order To Unfreeze Federal Funds
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration violated an order that halted a sweeping freeze on federal funding and ordered the White House to “take every step necessary” to release federally appropriated funds.
Republicans Are Floating Plans To Raise the Endowment Tax. Here’s What You Need To Know.
Rep. Mike V. Lawler (R-N.Y.), an ally of President Donald Trump, became the latest Republican lawmaker to introduce an endowment tax on Friday, proposing an 8.6 percent tax hike for Harvard and other wealthy colleges and universities.
Garber Blasts Trump’s Limits on NIH Support for Indirect Costs
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 slammed the Trump administration’s Friday decision to limit National Institutes of Health funding for overhead costs associated with research projects in a Sunday afternoon email.