The Trump administration intensified its confrontation with Harvard University on Friday, imposing heightened financial oversight and warning of additional sanctions unless the Ivy League institution submits detailed records on its admissions practices. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced that Harvard would be placed under "heightened cash monitoring", requiring the university to fund student financial aid upfront and seek federal reimbursement afterward—a measure typically reserved for institutions with compliance or fiscal issues.

McMahon further cautioned that failure to provide data proving Harvard has ceased considering race in admissions could trigger "further enforcement action". This demand stems from an ongoing Education Department probe into whether the university adheres to the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which prohibited race-based admissions following a lawsuit alleging discrimination against white and Asian applicants. Harvard, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment, has faced repeated federal scrutiny under Trump's policies targeting perceived liberal biases in higher education.

The escalation builds on prior punitive steps, including the withholding of $2.6 billion in federal research funding earlier this year after Harvard rejected demands for governance and disciplinary reforms. A federal judge recently ruled this as an "ideologically motivated assault" on elite universities, ordering the funds' restoration; on Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services complied by unfreezing $46 million. Trump's use of the Education Department has been unprecedented, involving grant cuts and settlement pressures on non-compliant schools to align with administration priorities on free speech and curriculum.

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Harvard's $53 billion endowment—the largest among U.S. universities—has come under renewed financial review, with McMahon citing risks from threatened federal funding. Critics argue these actions undermine academic independence, while supporters view them as essential checks on institutional overreach. As the investigation continues, the standoff highlights broader tensions between the administration and academia, potentially affecting research and enrolment nationwide.

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