The gov't froze $2.2B after Harvard said no to changes it claimed would control what private schools can teach.

Question

The government announced it is freezing more than $2.2 billion, hours after the university refused to make changes it said would "dictate what private universities can teach."

Answer 1

After digging into your claim I saw that your source was from NPR verified account on bluesky. After going into their account and looking at your source, I saw that it is content from their main website (npr.org). After googling what NPR was I found that they are a non-profit media organization that is know to be a reputable site with verified journalist. 

After doing some digging of my own, I went to the Harvard website (link below) to see if their information correlated to the information on NPR. According to an article from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (April 14, 2025), the U.S. Department of Education confirmed it froze $2.2 billion in federal grant funding, including research grants after Harvard University declined to comply with new federal curriculum reporting. The university claimed that the changes would “infringe on academic freedom” and “dictate what private institutions can and cannot teach.”

After conducting my own research I would say your claim in true. 

https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/trump-administration-freezes-2-2-billion-in-grants-to-harvard/

Answer 2

The claim is true as it originates from a source called NPR, which Jonaki Mehta reported. CNN's report by Jeff Winters and Taylor Romine also proved this. In addition, a piece from CNN states, "A request from the professors for an immediate temporary restraining order to block the government from cutting off Harvard’s federal funding"(CNN). This shows that the professors do not want their money frozen and are their own university. This can cause many problems with the university itself because they need to make changes to improve the school, but to allow for more diversity within the school, and how things may need to be taught. 

Sources:

NPR - https://www.npr.org/2025/04/14/nx-s1-5364829/trump-administration-freezes-funds-after-harvard-rejects-dei-demands 

CNN - https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/14/us/harvard-rejects-policy-changes/index.html

Answer 3

According to CNN this is true. 2.2 billion dollars in grant funds along with 60 million in multiyear contract value is frozen. The trump administration requested a policy change from Harvard university. The university then denied the request to change their policies and in response the 2.2 billion dollars along with 60 million dollars will be frozen.  “For the government to retreat from these partnerships now risks not only the health and well-being of millions of individuals, but also the economic security and vitality of our nation.” The Harvard president states.  https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/04/14/us/harvard-rejects-policy-changes

Answer 4

I found that this article is true through fact-checking with the Associated Press (AP), a widely trusted news organization. According to an AP News report, the U.S. government did freeze over $2.2 billion in federal funding and grants to Harvard University after the institution refused to adhere to the policy changes demanded by the Trump administration. The article contains direct quotes from government officials, and Harvard representatives, including Harvard President Alan Garber, who stated “No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.” The AP’s coverage matches with NPR’s reporting and traces the information to official announcements, showing that the claims are backed by original sources and credible journalism.

https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-administration-federal-cuts-antisemitism-0a1fb70a2c1055bda7c4c5a5c476e18d

Answer 5

Yes, my research confirms that the federal government froze $2.2 billion in funding after Harvard refused to adopt certain policy changes. As reported by CNN, this action included halting both a multi-year grant worth $2.2 billion and an additional $60 million tied to a separate contract. The freeze came after Harvard declined to meet the administration’s demands. In response to Harvard’s efforts to establish its own legal terms, the Trump administration has issued similar funding threats to other universities across the country. Harvard, however, has stood firm and publicly rejected the administration’s conditions.

Answer 6

My Verdict: True

Fact-Check: The claim is accurate. NPR, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and AP News have confirmed that the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in funding following Harvard’s refusal to comply with directives involving the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, changes to admissions and hiring policies, and cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Harvard's President, Alan Garber, stated that these demands were unconstitutional and infringed on academic freedom. The funding freeze reflects on the broader efforts by the administration to influence higher education policies.
Sources include The Harvard Gazette and The Guardian.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/04/harvard-wont-comply-with-demands-from-trump-administration/
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/apr/16/trump-harvard-funding-threat-latest

Answer 7

As I looked through the source of the claim from the article (the account who posted it), the account seemed credible. The investigation found the account who posted it was a true reporter covering education for a credible source, NPR. The account has a credible background of covering related education reports such as for chronic absenteeism in American Schools. Additionally, she was a producer for All Things Considered. Moreover, she hosted a news and culture radio talk-show. The link for a trusted source on the same claim/topic is below. The source is the official news outlet for Harvard University. It talks about how Harvard rejected demands from the Trump administration, whom would retract $9 billion of government research funding if they did not comply. The original first instance of this claim/idea was when Harvard's President issued a statement to faculty and students. A source describing this is included below. The only part of this statement is a question in regards to how much funding is being withheld.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/04/harvard-wont-comply-with-demands-from-trump-administration/

https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/the-promise-of-american-higher-education/

Answer 8

 This claim is true. NPR quoted a letter that Harvard sent out and the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemetism. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/14/nx-s1-5364829/trump-administration-freezes-funds-after-harvard-rejects-dei-demands

Both claims can be checked by visiting the official websites. Harvard released the official letter that was received on April 11 from the Department of Education, with a list of demands to “implement these critical reforms that will enable Harvard to return to its original mission of inventive research and academic excellence”. Specifically relating to Anti semitism, the letter demands that Hazard revoke support for protesters for Palestine, and to suspend students occupying buildings. It went on further to demand that, “In the future, funding decisions for student groups or clubs must be made exclusively by a body of University faculty accountable to senior University leadership”. This letter proves that the government was indeed asking Havard to dictact some of how they teach. 

https://www.harvard.edu/research-funding/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/04/Letter-Sent-to-Harvard-2025-04-11.pdf

The claim is is verified on the government department of educations page, directly saying, “The Joint Task Force to combat anti-Semitism is announcing a freeze on $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60M in multi-year contract value to Harvard University." https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/joint-task-force-combat-anti-semitism-statement-regarding-harvard-university