Harvard President Alan Garber will take a 25% pay cut amid a $2.7 billion funding freeze from the Trump administration. Harvard alleges the government “blacklisted” them.
Harvard University President Alan Garber will take a 25% pay cut in the 2026 fiscal year as the university faces a significant funding freeze from the Trump administration, a university spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday, according to CNN.
This decision comes as Harvard contends with the loss of approximately $2.7 billion in federal grants and contracts in the wake of its failure to handle a surge in antisemitism on campus.
In addition to the funding cuts, President Donald Trump has also advocated for revoking the university’s tax-exempt status.
Last month, Harvard initiated legal proceedings in an attempt to lift the grant freeze. In its lawsuit, it says that Harvard is currently covering the lost funding from its $53.2 billion endowment but warns that this is unsustainable. “Without the federal funding at issue, Harvard would need to operate at a significantly reduced level,” the lawsuit states.
Harvard argues that the funding freeze violates its First Amendment rights. A federal judge has set oral arguments for July, indicating the freeze will likely remain in place until then.
Several weeks ago, Harvard published two internal reviews detailing incidents of discrimination against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab students during last year’s protests. The reports found that some students feared marginalization for expressing political views.
