WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has launched an investigation into federal contracts and grants given to Harvard University. The Department of Education, Health and Human Services and U.S. General Services Administration said Monday they will conduct a comprehensive review of almost $9 billion in funds as part of ongoing efforts to combat antisemitism.

What You Need To Know

  • The Trump administration has launched an investigation into federal contracts and grants given to Harvard University

  • The Department of Education, Health and Human Services and U.S. General Services Administration said Monday they will conduct a comprehensive review as part of ongoing efforts to combat antisemitism

  • The three federal agencies will review more than $255.6 million in contracts between Harvard, its affiliates and the federal government, the Education Department said; it will also look into at least $8.7 billion in multi-year grants to the school 

  • In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on “additional measures to combat antisemitism"

“Harvard has served as a symbol of the American Dream for generations — the pinnacle aspiration for students all over the world to work hard and earn admission to the storied institution,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “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.”

The three federal agencies will review more than $255.6 million in contracts between Harvard, its affiliates and the federal government, the Education Department said. It will also look into at least $8.7 billion in multi-year grants to the school “to ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities.”

In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on “additional measures to combat antisemitism.” The order said U.S. policy would “combat antisemitism vigorously, using all available and appropriate legal tools, to prosecute, remove or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful antisemitic harassment and violence."

Colleges and universities across the country have been a locus of pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza since the spring of 2024.

In March, the Education Department sent letters to dozens of schools saying they may be penalized for failing to protect Jewish students on their campuses.

Monday's Harvard funding investigation announcement comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s pledge to investigate Columbia University over $400 million in federal funding unless it changed its protest policies and security practices.

Harvard University didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.