Harvard University founded in 1636 in Cambridge, Massachusetts believes itself to be the Cullinan Diamond of American academia. What was once a theological seminary to train Puritan ministers for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, has been a willing hostage of the Left for the last three generations.
Then again, what hasn’t the Left taken over?
The 389-year-old Harvard is a private university and our nation’s oldest with an untaxed endowment that is more than most smaller countries’ annual gross domestic product at nearly $53 billion. Why should American taxpayers give money to a university with such a colossal endowment? Such an endowment should eliminate any federally funded student loans and grants. Yet, Harvard still receives $2.2 billion in grant money and $60 million in federal subsidies annually.
The Trump administration froze this money due to campus antisemitic behavior. They also questioned Harvard’s quota admission policy, hiring practices, governance, jihadist intifada cheerleading, and their prejudiced DEI programs.
Harvard has since filed a lawsuit challenging the funding freeze.
Public and private universities and colleges are tax-exempt as defined by IRC Section 501(c)(3). Due to their educational mission, they do not pay federal income tax. The Trump administration also threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Provided this ever happened, donors would no longer get a tax break which would diminish donations.
In addition, the administration has also talked about a 35% endowment tax for universities with substantial endowments, which would cost Harvard plenty. Such a revocation would occur after a detailed IRS audit and any unfavorable decision would have Harvard, and the IRS tied up in court for years.
What news outlets have failed to share is the fact that several large Harvard donors walked away before Trump took office.
The Harvard cash train doesn’t just collect along the Washington Beltway. Harvard readily accepts bundles of cash from countries hostile to America like Russia, Venezuela, Qatar, and China. Such funding is anything but benevolent philanthropy – it is the price they pay for infiltration. It is a very effective soft-power attack to gain leverage, influence, and technology. And folks wonder why many universities are out of sync with America.
Like other influential universities, Harvard doesn’t sell education, but their brand and access. This is not the Harvard of John Adams or John Kennedy. American higher education is now reaping what it has sowed — a poisoned harvest of indifference and hostility to the nation it claims to educate.
The Left goes apoplectic over the salaries of corporate executives that provide employment, products and services, yet are mum about the salaries paid to Harvard executives and professors who write more books than they teach. The majority of their faculty loathes America as they discriminate against conservatives, Jews, whites and Asians.
Three percent of Harvard’s faculty claims to be conservative. The Left would be furious provided Harvard was three percent leftists. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) rated Harvard last out of 251 colleges.
Tax dollars funding private universities that are havens for political extremism must end. Allow the market to sort things out aided by their endowments. Money for private enterprise, research, and scholarships will find its way when a free-market and competitive playing field is provided.
The funding freeze raised concerns about the impact on scientific research and student aid. Private industry should fund research and endowments student aid. However, provided the government does participate in research, a detailed and transparent analysis and accounting of how tax monies are spent should be a given no matter if it’s Harvard or Harrisburg.
The government has no obligation to fund any research bloated with administrative and bureaucratic costs, which range from 30% – 60%, according to insidehighered.com. It is the worst combination of government inefficiency multiplied by academic bureaucracy plus politics. Some “research” includes studies on why old men have larger ears as they age, and why playing the didgeridoo can help treat snoring and sleep apnea.
Not all research is bunk, but it has more than its fair share.
Harvard is free to do their thing, but tax dollars should not subsidize their imprudence.
Harvard should raise private capital like Hillsdale College.
Those who take the government’s coin eventually do the government’s bidding.
No one tells Hillsdale College what to do.
Harvard and the rest of academia must join them.
