Harvard University has signaled a willingness to meet the Trump administration's demand to spend as much as $500 million to end its dispute with the White House as talks between the two sides intensify, four people familiar with the negotiations said.
According to one of the people, Harvard is reluctant to directly pay the federal government, but negotiators are still discussing the exact financial terms.
The sum sought by the government, which recently accused Harvard of civil rights violations, is more than twice as much as the $200 million fine that Columbia University said it would pay when it settled antisemitism claims with the White House last week. Neither Harvard nor the government has publicly detailed potential terms for a settlement and what allegations the money would be intended to resolve.
Trump has privately demanded that Harvard pay far more than Columbia. The people who described the talks and the dynamics surrounding them spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential negotiations.
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Although the two sides have made progress toward a deal, Harvard is skeptical of Columbia's agreement to allow an outside monitor to oversee its arrangement with the government. Harvard officials have signaled that such a requirement for their own settlement could be a redline as a potential infringement on the university's academic freedom.
University officials, though, concluded months ago that even if they prevailed in their court fight against the government, a deal could help Harvard to avoid more troubles over the course of Trump's term.
The timing was unclear for when the administration and Harvard might reach an accord.
Trump said in June that his administration might strike an agreement with Harvard "over the next week or so." Although that time frame has lapsed, the president has privately told aides that he will not green-light a deal unless the nation's oldest and wealthiest university agrees to spend many millions of dollars.
The president's focus on financial terms reflects a shift in strategy for the administration, which spent the first months of its assault on higher education highlighting the prospects of reorienting the industry's perceived ideological tilt. Although the White House has tied federal research funds to its quest for negotiations with top schools since the winter, Trump's focus on the financial conditions of any settlements emerged more recently.
Harvard declined to comment Monday.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
According to one of the people, Harvard is reluctant to directly pay the federal government, but negotiators are still discussing the exact financial terms.
The sum sought by the government, which recently accused Harvard of civil rights violations, is more than twice as much as the $200 million fine that Columbia University said it would pay when it settled antisemitism claims with the White House last week. Neither Harvard nor the government has publicly detailed potential terms for a settlement and what allegations the money would be intended to resolve.
Trump has privately demanded that Harvard pay far more than Columbia. The people who described the talks and the dynamics surrounding them spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential negotiations.
(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)
Although the two sides have made progress toward a deal, Harvard is skeptical of Columbia's agreement to allow an outside monitor to oversee its arrangement with the government. Harvard officials have signaled that such a requirement for their own settlement could be a redline as a potential infringement on the university's academic freedom.
University officials, though, concluded months ago that even if they prevailed in their court fight against the government, a deal could help Harvard to avoid more troubles over the course of Trump's term.
The timing was unclear for when the administration and Harvard might reach an accord.
Trump said in June that his administration might strike an agreement with Harvard "over the next week or so." Although that time frame has lapsed, the president has privately told aides that he will not green-light a deal unless the nation's oldest and wealthiest university agrees to spend many millions of dollars.
The president's focus on financial terms reflects a shift in strategy for the administration, which spent the first months of its assault on higher education highlighting the prospects of reorienting the industry's perceived ideological tilt. Although the White House has tied federal research funds to its quest for negotiations with top schools since the winter, Trump's focus on the financial conditions of any settlements emerged more recently.
Harvard declined to comment Monday.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
