Harvard vs. Trump: When a Pandemic Sparked a Battle Over Aid

Harvard vs. Trump: When a Pandemic Sparked a Battle Over Aid

Back in 2020, while the world was struggling with the chaos of COVID-19, an unexpected showdown took place between Harvard University and the Trump administration. It wasn’t about politics in the usual sense—it was about money, students, and who deserved help when everything was falling apart.

Let's take a moment to reflect. The pandemic had just started. Universities, colleges, and schools across the United States were trying to figure out how to support their students, closing their doors, and switching to online instruction. The U.S. government responded to the situation by passing the CARES Act, a major relief package.The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) was created to provide higher education institutions with a portion of it, approximately $14 billion. Each institution received a portion of the cash based on a formula that considered enrollment and other factors. Support for Harvard University, one of the most prestigious and wealthy universities in the world, came to about $8.6 million.

That’s where things got messy.

As soon as news broke that Harvard was getting millions in relief, critics—led by President Donald Trump—lashed out. Trump publicly slammed Harvard during a press briefing, saying it was unfair for such a wealthy institution, with a $40 billion endowment, to receive aid meant for struggling schools. He demanded Harvard return the money.

At first, Harvard pushed back. They clarified that the money was meant to help students in need and to cover emergency costs related to the pandemic—not to pad their endowment. They also pointed out that they never asked for the money; it was automatically allocated under the formula Congress approved.

But as public pressure grew and the Trump administration doubled down, Harvard eventually agreed to turn down the funds.

Still, the story didn’t end there.

At the same time, the Department of Education, under then-Secretary Betsy DeVos, released strict new guidelines about who could get aid from the CARES Act. Most controversially, they said that undocumented students and many international students were not eligible. Colleges were told to follow these rules when distributing emergency relief money to students.

Harvard—and several other institutions—strongly disagreed with this. They argued that many undocumented and international students were hit just as hard as everyone else by the pandemic, and they needed help too. Harvard decided to pursue legal action as a result. They filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the Department of Education had overstepped its authority by limiting how the funds could be used. Harvard claims that Congress had not established those restrictions and that the government had no authority to do so after the fact. They also said that the move seemed to be motivated by politics. It was unfair to single out elite universities, particularly Harvard, which had previously criticized Trump. They argued that the administration's rhetoric was more about gaining political points than it was about solving actual issues. Public reaction was divided. Harvard, according to some, shouldn't have taken money from the government when it had billions in its bank account. Others sided with the university, saying it wasn’t about the money—it was about the principle and protecting all students, regardless of where they were from.

In the end, the lawsuit didn’t go very far in court. Harvard and other universities ended up not taking the money, and some of the legal issues faded as new administrations and new rules came into place. But the case left a mark.

It highlighted how deep the tensions had become between higher education and the federal government during Trump’s presidency. It also opened up larger questions: Should rich schools get public aid? Should immigration status determine who gets help in a crisis? And who really decides what’s fair when disaster strikes?

More than just funding, Harvard's dispute with the Trump administration was a symbol of a larger conflict over values, priorities, and how the United States responds to pressure on its systems.