September 21, 2025

Harvard University, long known as America's top college, is now caught in a storm of government scrutiny. The Trump administration, through the Education Department, put Harvard under "heightened cash monitoring" on Friday. What does that mean? Harvard must now pay out financial aid from its own pocket first and then ask the government to pay it back. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said this is a big warning. She also added if Harvard doesn’t share more details proving race is not part of its admissions choices anymore, more punishments could come. This is not just about Harvard alone. President Donald Trump's team is on a mission to end what they call "liberal bias" in top universities. They have cut huge federal research grants—like the $2.6 billion Harvard lost when it resisted changes in how it runs student discipline and governance. A judge called that move "a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities" and made the government release $46 million back to Harvard recently. The fight also touches how Harvard picks students. The Education Department wants detailed info about who applies and who gets admitted. This follows a big Supreme Court decision in 2023 that banned colleges from considering race in admission. The battle goes back to 2014 when some students claimed Harvard’s process was unfair to white and Asian kids. Now, the administration feels Harvard hasn’t fully answered their questions. Even Harvard’s massive $53 billion endowment is under the spotlight. McMahon expressed worries about Harvard’s finances, despite this huge fortune, because of the uncertainty over federal money. This shows the government is ready to challenge even the richest schools. Harvard’s current clash with the government paints a clear picture: elite universities are in a fierce tug-of-war with an administration keen on reshaping how colleges work. The final result may change admission rules and how much freedom these prestigious schools have with their money and politics.

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Tags: Harvard university, Trump administration, Education department, Financial monitoring, College admissions, Federal funding,