Harvard Drops $8.6 Million Stimulus Allocation After Trump Complaint

WASHINGTON (Reuters) —
A man beside a sign for Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in June, 2018. (Reuters/Brian Snyder/File Photo)

Harvard University said on Wednesday it had decided not to seek $8.6 million from the coronavirus stimulus law that it was qualified for, after an outcry led by U.S. President Donald Trump who questioned whether the elite school needed the money.

In a statement, the university said it would face significant financial challenges due to the pandemic and resulting economic crisis.

“We are also concerned, however, that the intense focus by politicians and others on Harvard in connection with this program may undermine participation in a relief effort that Congress created and the president signed into law for the purpose of helping students and institutions whose financial challenges in the coming months may be most severe,” it said.

“As a result of this, and the evolving guidance being issued around use of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, Harvard has decided not to seek or accept the funds allocated to it by statute,” the statement said.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts, university said on Tuesday it intended to use the money for direct assistance to needy students, but modified its position on Wednesday after Stanford University and Princeton both said they would not take the money.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Trump cited Harvard’s ample endowment – worth nearly $41 billion – as the reason why it should not have the money.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos piled on pressure in a statement on Wednesday.

“Schools with large endowments should not apply for funds so more can be given to students who need support the most. It’s also important for Congress to change the law to make sure no more taxpayer funds go to elite, wealthy institutions,” she said.

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