Student protesters gather inside their encampment on the Columbia University campus, April 29, 2024, in New York. Associated Press
Universities across the U.S. have announced hiring freezes, citing new financial uncertainty as the Trump administration threatens a range of cuts to federal contracts and research grants.
In February, the administration announced deep cuts to National Institutes of Health grants for research institutions, a shift that could reduce the money going to some universities by over $100 million. Some schools already have shelved projects because of the cuts, which have been delayed temporarily by a court challenge.
Recently, President Donald Trump has shown appetite for targeting colleges’ funding more directly. His administration has vowed to take federal money from colleges that defy his agenda on issues including diversity, equity and inclusion programs, transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports, and student protests that he deems “illegal.”
On March 7, the administration on Friday pulled $400 million from Columbia University over what it described as the Ivy League school’s failure to squelch antisemitism on campus. The Education Department followed up with a letter Monday warning 60 colleges they could lose federal money if they fail to make campuses safe for Jewish students.
Higher education has been a steady job generator since the pandemic, with private colleges and universities adding 35,000 jobs nationwide last year. Hiring freezes and cuts at universities could contribute to slower job growth in the months ahead, advocates for workers say.
Private and public colleges have been announcing freezes
Over the last two weeks, more than a dozen institutions have announced limits on hiring for faculty and staff positions and other measures to tighten purse strings.
Hiring freezes have been announced at schools including Harvard; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Notre Dame; the University of Pennsylvania; the University of Pittsburgh; Emory University; the University of Vermont; North Carolina State University; the University of Washington; and the University of California, San Diego.
In a statement, Harvard leaders said the decision was “meant to preserve our financial flexibility until we better understand how changes in federal policy will take shape and can assess the scale of their impact.”
The University of Washington’s provost, Tricia Serio, said in a blog post she recognized how the uncertainty of the moment could “prompt stress, worry and anxiety.”
“By using this time to proactively save our resources and thoughtfully plan, we will be better prepared to manage any future funding cuts to protect our mission for the public good,” she wrote.
Several universities said they also are looking for other ways to reduce expenses, including Emory, where President Gregory Fenves said it is necessary to “take prudent measures to prepare for what may be a significant disruption to our finances.”
Universities see risks for federal funding on several fronts
Colleges had been bracing for head winds under the new administration, including the possibility of a big hike in the tax on university endowments. But the new administration has taken several steps that have heightened uncertainty.
In addition to the reductions ordered to NIH grants, money for research and projects has been held up by delays in approval processes and cuts to programs linked to DEI.
After a dustup between Trump and Maine’s governor over transgender athletes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended funding for research at the University of Maine. The funding was restored this week, officials said.
The $400 million hit to Columbia in particular shook institutions of higher education.
The withdrawal of federal money is not the way to fight hate, said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council of Education. The cancellation, he said, will “eviscerate academic and research activities” at Columbia.
“But we also are deeply concerned that unless the administration reverses course, it will move on to wrongly target research at other institutions, wreaking further chaos, confusion, and negative consequences,” Mitchell said.
On Thursday, U.S. officials said a federal task force to combat antisemitism had notified leaders in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston that it wants to meet and discuss incidents where colleges in their cities may have failed to protect Jewish students from discrimination.
