Trump admin to cancel all federal contracts, worth $100 mn, with Harvard

The Trump administration is preparing to terminate all remaining federal contracts with Harvard University, valued at around $100 million.

 

This move, outlined in a letter slated for delivery to federal agencies on Tuesday, also urges agencies to seek other providers for future contracts, according to a New York Times article.

 

''The US General Services Administration (GSA) is assisting all federal agencies in a review for termination or transition of their federal government contracts with Harvard University and affiliates,'' the letter reviewed by NYT stated.

 

This decision marks the latest in a series of efforts by the administration to significantly impact Harvard’s financial stability and global standing. Since last month, approximately $3.2 billion in grants and contracts have been frozen, and the administration has also sought to prevent the university from admitting international students.

 

The letter, dated May 27 and issued by the US General Services Administration, is expected to reach federal agencies by Tuesday morning. An administration official, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorisation to discuss the matter, confirmed the letter’s details.

 

Redirecting grants to trade schools 

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced that he was considering redirecting $3 billion in federal grants, originally awarded to Harvard University, to trade schools across the country.

 

He made this statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, just days after his administration attempted to prevent the Ivy League institution from enrolling international students.

 

The majority of these grants, which are allocated by Congress through the National Institutes of Health, are designated to support biomedical research—research that is generally not conducted at trade schools.

 

In recent weeks, Trump has frozen approximately $3 billion in federal grant funding for Harvard, prompting the university to initiate legal action in an effort to reclaim the money.

 

International student ban 

On May 23, a federal judge in Boston had halted an order from the Trump administration that aimed to block international students from enrolling at Harvard University. Judge Allison D. Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order, stating that the move would cause Harvard “immediate and irreparable injury.”

 

This ruling was made just hours after Harvard filed a lawsuit against the administration. The legal action came in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement made on May 22, that it would revoke Harvard's ability to admit international students, prompting a swift legal challenge from one of the nation’s oldest and most esteemed universities.