Harvard, Trump Administration Near $500 Million Deal to Restore Funding

Harvard University and the Trump administration are nearing an agreement that would require the Ivy League institution to pay about $500 million to regain access to federal research funding and end multiple federal investigations, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Both sides have accepted the financial figure, and a settlement could be finalized within weeks, though key enforcement details remain unresolved. The prospective deal would conclude a months-long clash that began with a campus antisemitism probe and escalated as the administration suspended more than $2.6 billion in research support, canceled federal contracts and sought to bar Harvard from hosting international students. Last week officials also threatened to seize university patents worth more than $100 million, intensifying pressure on the school. Negotiations, revived in June, now hinge on whether Harvard must accept an independent monitor to oversee compliance—an element the White House considers essential and the university has resisted. The administration says any pact must include “serious and effective” oversight provisions. A $500 million payment would be the largest secured so far under the administration’s campaign to penalize elite universities it accuses of ideological bias. Columbia University previously agreed to a $200 million settlement that included a monitor, while Brown University committed $50 million to state workforce programs without external supervision. News of the looming accord has triggered political backlash. California Governor Gavin C. Newsom on Tuesday called for Harvard President Alan M. Garber to resign, and 14 Democratic members of Congress who are Harvard alumni have warned the university that any capitulation could prompt rigorous oversight. Faculty unions, alumni groups and student organizations have also threatened further legal action if the university compromises on academic freedom. President Donald Trump, speaking on social media, said “woke colleges are paying a big price” and signaled additional settlements with other institutions may follow.