As President Donald Trump moves to withhold over $2.2 billion in federal funding from Harvard University for its refusal to comply with a list of demands many regard as unconstitutional, some say Harvard should simply tap its $53 billion endowment to make up the shortfall. But a higher education finance expert says it’s not as simple as making a few withdrawals.
The standoff between Trump and Harvard comes as the White House is seeking to flex control over higher education, including by dictating what schools teach, and whom they hire. Last week, it sent Harvard a five-page letter that threatened to pull federal funding if the private university did not screen and change practices for international student admission; shutter all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; and “audit the student body, faculty, staff, and leadership for viewpoint diversity,” among other demands.
