• Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Portfolio Performance Today
Economy

Hands Off the University, Indeed

by April 18, 2025
by April 18, 2025

The Trump administration has taken a wrecking ball to the Department of Education and to DEI programs at universities across the country. And, in typical Trumpian style, the President has escalated and retaliated against schools that refuse to comply with his administration’s orders. Harvard recently decided to fight back, garnering praise from prominent figures like Barack Obama: “Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom.”

Opposition to the Trump administration hinges on the newly rediscovered virtue of academic freedom – something that had long been lost under microaggression warnings and inclusion training. Now, apparently, academic freedom is back in vogue because the federal government is attaching strings to its funding. “Hands Off Our University” has become the slogan of recalcitrant university officials, outraged faculty, and student protestors. 

Harvard has become a rallying point for other universities that don’t want to kowtow to the Trump administration’s demands. Harvard’s President, Alan Garber, has said: 

“No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.” – President Alan Garber https://t.co/6cQQpcJVTd

— Harvard University (@Harvard) April 14, 2025

As of writing, the administration has frozen roughly $2.2 billion of federal funding and has begun investigating whether it can revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status.

Administrators are right to chant, “hand off my university!” We should want the federal government’s hands off universities. We can start by removing its tentacles from student loan financing. No more FAFSAs. No more Pell grants. This, by the way, would save taxpayers nearly $30 billion annually. 

Then, we can remove government research grants, whether for the arts and humanities or for science and medicine. The $40 billion to $50 billion of federal tax dollars spent annually at research universities could be used to pay down national debt (or at least to reduce the deficit). 

In 2018, colleges and universities received roughly $150 billion in federal money through a variety of programs. That’s a lot of government “hands” on the higher education system. If universities want those hands off, they should refuse the money.

But suppose that is a bridge too far. Afterall, we don’t want to return to the dark ages before the 20th century when almost no general scientific research was done until national governments started funding it at universities…

Perhaps universities could set up organizational firewalls between the university and its various government research arms. Or they could spin off the med schools and research centers entirely. Afterall, the goal is to get the government’s hands off of the universities. This would do that.

And before anyone says this is impractical, impossible, or purely hypothetical, we should note that several successful colleges do not accept federal money of any kind: Hillsdale College, Grove City College, Christendom College, Patrick Henry College, Wyoming Catholic College, Thomas Aquinas College, and New Saint Andrews.

When universities no longer accept federal funds, they will be free to run (or not run) their sports and dorms however they wish. No more “Dear Colleague” letters scolding or not so subtly threatening schools that don’t take the right political or social stances.

Of course, this is decidedly not what President Garber and other university administrators have in mind. They very much want to keep all their federal funding (and get more if they can). They just don’t want conditions for how they operate with that money. One could be forgiven for thinking this sounds more like a large-scale grift than a robust defense of academic freedom.

Remember, he who pays the piper calls the tune. If these universities don’t want to face political pressure and government oversight, they need to stop taking government money. And until they put their money where their mouth is, academic freedom will remain a fig leaf for massive institutions (full of extremely well-paid administrators and faculty) that have been taking American taxpayers to the cleaners for decades.

0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
Are Americans Worse Off Since NAFTA? The Data Say No
next post
Ackman Bets Big on Hertz 

Related Posts

Three Goals for Trump’s Trade Negotiations

June 20, 2025

Business Conditions Monthly April 2025

June 20, 2025

Why Is Housing So Partisan in the Northeast?

June 20, 2025

Why Is Housing So Partisan in the Northeast?

June 20, 2025

Three Goals for Trump’s Trade Negotiations

June 20, 2025

Two men convicted in Pennsylvania mayoral race election...

June 20, 2025

Top Trump ally predicts Senate will blow past...

June 20, 2025

Flaring Iran nuclear crisis provides first major test...

June 20, 2025

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee indicates US...

June 20, 2025

Israel’s ‘resounding’ military campaign against Iran could be...

June 20, 2025

Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.

By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

Recent Posts

  • Business Conditions Monthly April 2025

    June 20, 2025
  • Three Goals for Trump’s Trade Negotiations

    June 20, 2025
  • Why Is Housing So Partisan in the Northeast?

    June 20, 2025
  • GMS stock jumps 29% on takeover interest from Home Depot, QXO, analysts raise PTs

    June 20, 2025
  • Japan’s rice price surge: what’s driving it and why it could spark a political crisis

    June 20, 2025
  • Foxconn and Nvidia to deploy humanoid robots in AI server factory: report

    June 20, 2025

Editors’ Picks

  • 1

    Meta executives eligible for 200% salary bonus under new pay structure

    February 21, 2025
  • 2

    Walmart earnings preview: What to expect before Thursday’s opening bell

    February 20, 2025
  • 3

    New FBI leader Kash Patel tapped to run ATF as acting director

    February 23, 2025
  • 4

    Anthropic’s newly released Claude 3.7 Sonnet can ‘think’ as long as the user wants before giving an answer

    February 25, 2025
  • 5

    Nvidia’s investment in SoundHound wasn’t all that significant after all

    March 1, 2025
  • 6

    Elon Musk says federal employees must fill out productivity reports or resign

    February 23, 2025
  • 7

    Cramer reveals a sub-sector of technology that can withstand Trump tariffs

    March 1, 2025

Categories

  • Economy (1,545)
  • Editor's Pick (163)
  • Investing (185)
  • Stock (1,001)
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Copyright © 2025 Portfolioperformancetoday.com All Rights Reserved.

Portfolio Performance Today
  • Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Portfolio Performance Today
  • Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Copyright © 2025 Portfolioperformancetoday.com All Rights Reserved.

Read alsox

Rethinking Trade Deficits: Foreign Dollar Holdings Are...

February 27, 2025

Trump watches strike on Iran-backed Houthis in...

March 17, 2025

Delegates from Iran, US holding talks in...

April 13, 2025