The Trump administration is formally ending the U.S. military’s academic relationship with Harvard University, marking another escalation in its broader effort to reshape—and in some cases punish—elite higher education institutions it views as ideologically misaligned with federal priorities.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the Department of Defense—which the administration has nominally rebranded as the “Department of War,” though the legal has not changed—will sever its academic partnerships with Harvard beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year. The decision affects graduate-level professional military education programs, fellowships, and certificate offerings that have long allowed active-duty service members to study at the university.
In a video message accompanying the announcement, Hegseth framed the move as both a financial and strategic decision, arguing that continued partnerships with Harvard no longer serve the military’s mission. “At the War Department, we will strive to maximize taxpayer value in building lethality to establish deterrence. It’s that simple,” he said. “That no longer includes spending millions of dollars on expensive universities that actively undercut our mission and undercut our country.”
Administration officials have repeatedly criticized Harvard, accusing the university of promoting progressive ideologies and failing to address antisemitism on campus. President Trump has previously justified cutting federal funding to multiple colleges and universities on similar grounds, arguing that institutions receiving public dollars must comply with federal expectations on campus climate and civil rights.
Hegseth echoed those claims, alleging that Harvard’s academic culture has negatively influenced military officers who attend the school through Defense Department programs. In the video, he argued that the university has filled service members’ “heads full of globalist and radical ideologies that do not improve our fighting ranks,” and dismissed the continuation of the partnership with a blunt declaration: “Harvard, good riddance.”
The Defense Department’s press release expanded on those arguments, asserting that Harvard no longer provides an appropriate environment for military education. Hegseth cited the university’s research relationships with foreign entities and what he described as an on-campus culture that conflicts with U.S. military values. He also repeated administration claims that Harvard leadership tolerated antisemitic incidents and continued race-conscious practices that the White House argues violate Supreme Court rulings.
At the same time, Hegseth acknowledged the long and complex history between the military and the university. He noted that Harvard served as a military base during the Revolutionary War and emphasized that more recipients of the Medal of Honor attended Harvard than any other civilian institution. Still, he argued that the relationship has deteriorated to the point where it no longer benefits the armed forces.
The policy change will apply to new enrollments beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year. Active-duty service members currently enrolled in Harvard-affiliated programs will be permitted to complete their coursework, according to the department.
Hegseth, himself a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School, also signaled that the move could extend beyond a single institution. The War Department plans to review similar academic arrangements at other Ivy League schools and civilian universities to determine whether they provide “cost-effective strategic education” compared with public institutions and military-run graduate programs.
The decision underscores the administration’s increasingly confrontational approach toward higher education, particularly institutions that resist federal pressure on admissions, hiring, and campus governance. As the review expands, Harvard’s case may serve less as an exception than as a test case for how far the administration is willing to go in redefining the federal government’s relationship with American universities.
