x

Harvard says won’t accept virus aid money after all

Harvard University said Wednesday it would not take millions of dollars it received from a coronavirus relief fund, following a backlash led by President Donald Trump.
Harvard, the globe’s wealthiest university, was allocated $8.6 million under the federal CARES Act, a government stimulus package meant to cushion the US economy from the COVID-19 fallout.

On Tuesday, Trump called on the Massachusetts-based university to pay the money back, saying it was intended “for workers” and not for “one of the richest institutions” in the world.

Harvard later said 100 percent of the funds would be given to students “facing urgent financial needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

But on Wednesday, it announced that it would not take the money after all.

“Harvard has decided not to seek or accept the funds allocated to it by statute,” it said in a statement.

“We will inform the Department of Education of our decision and encourage the department to act swiftly to reallocate resources previously allocated to Harvard.”

Harvard added that it “remains fully committed to providing the financial support that it has promised to its students.”

The university had been under fire over the funds, even before Trump’s comments.

“The last time Harvard got this much money out of the blue, they had to accept Jared Kushner,” joked Comedy Central’s The Daily Show on Twitter, referring to Trump’s son-in-law, on Monday.

The Department of Education was to receive $30.8 billion to support schools and universities, which are closed across the country, under the $2.2 trillion stimulus package passed last month.

The Harvard Crimson reported Tuesday that the university’s endowment, the largest of any in the world, was last valued in 2019 at $40.9 billion — through it cited administrators as saying that may have declined to the “mid-30-billion range” as a result of the pandemic.

Hot this week

Ex-Liverpool Star Explains Why Arsenal Won’t Win the Premier League This Season

Arsenal’s blistering start to the season has reignited hopes...

New Kogi Police Commissioner, CP Kankarofi, Seeks Public Cooperation to Tackle Crime

By Noah Ocheni, LokojaThe newly appointed Commissioner of Police...

Recent Surge in Cult Violence in Osun State: A Threat to Lives, Learning, and Peace

By Nadia Binta AhmedNigeria continues to grapple with the...

CSO Urges State Governors to Emulate Jigawa Governor, Approve Advance Payment for 2026 Hajj

By Jabiru HassanIndependent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a faith-based civil...

Manchester United’s resurgence under Ruben Amorim continues, with the...

Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are looking to reset...

Real Madrid, Super League Backers Demand $4 Billion Compensation from UEFA

Real Madrid and the organisers of the European Super...

NWFL Confirms November 26 Kickoff for 2025/2026 Season

The Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) has officially announced...

Match fixtures

Friday 31 October 2025 Bundesliga20:30 CET AugsburgvDortmundLa Liga21:00 CET GetafevGironaFA...

NIPR Institutes Annual PRICE Awards, Fixes 7th December for the Ceremony

PRESS RELEASEThe Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)...

The State of Education and Youth Development in Delta State

By High Chief Sheriff George Mulade T. 400-Level International Relations...

Ethiopia and Eritrea: Lessons from a Long Road to Peace

After gaining independence in 1993, Eritrea and Ethiopia initially...

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img