After months of disputes over federal funding, the Trump administration and Harvard University are close to finalizing a historic $500 million settlement, according to a person familiar with the talks.
Negotiations are still ongoing, and some details remain unresolved, but both sides have agreed to the half-billion-dollar amount, the Associated Press reported. A final deal could be reached within weeks.
Harvard Could Restore Access to Frozen Funds Worth USD2.6 Billion
If approved, the settlement would restore Harvard’s access to over $2.6 billion in frozen federal research funds and end several government investigations that have troubled the university for months. Neither Harvard nor the White House has commented publicly on the matter.
The conflict began when the Trump administration launched a federal investigation into alleged antisemitism at Harvard. This quickly expanded into a wider clash over how the university is run. The government accused Harvard of resisting necessary reforms, cutting its federal contracts, suspending funding, and attempting to limit its international student programs.
Harvard responded by filing two lawsuits, claiming the administration illegally retaliated after the university refused to accept demands it believed would threaten academic freedom.
Donald Trump’s Biggest University Settlement to Date
The proposed $500 million deal would be the largest payment yet in the administration’s push to impose financial penalties on elite universities. By comparison, Columbia University recently agreed to pay $200 million to regain federal funding, while Brown University agreed to pay $50 million to workforce development programs in Rhode Island.
The settlement talks come as President Trump increases pressure on universities he sees as liberal strongholds. In his second term, he has made higher education reform a key goal, saying elite schools must be held accountable for “ideological bias” and “lack of transparency.”
Harvard, with its $53 billion endowment, has been one of his biggest targets.
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