Post by : Jyoti Gupta

Photo:AP

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said that Harvard and other universities might get their federal funding back if they change some of their rules and follow U.S. laws. Right now, Harvard has lost more than $2.6 billion in federal research money because the Trump administration says the school didn’t do enough to stop antisemitism on campus and didn’t share enough information about problems with international students.

Harvard is fighting back by taking the government to court. They want to get their funding and their license to admit foreign students back. A judge has stopped the government from banning Harvard’s international students for now, and another hearing is coming up soon.

McMahon said that if universities follow the rules and do what is expected, they could get taxpayer money again. She also said that research at universities is important for the public, and people are willing to support good research with their taxes.

The government is also thinking about using something called a “consent decree,” which is a legal agreement that would let a judge watch over the universities to make sure they are following the rules.

Other universities, like Columbia, have also lost a lot of federal funding. Some colleges are supporting Harvard in court, saying that losing this money really hurts their schools.

President Trump has said he wants universities to be fair and open to different ideas, and he has criticized Harvard for not doing enough. He even said that if schools don’t change, their funding could go to trade schools instead.