The Trump administration intensified its campaign against American universities on Wednesday, launching fresh investigations through both the State Department and the Department of Education.
At the center of the effort is Harvard University, now under a new State Department review to determine whether it can continue participating in the federal Exchange Visitor Program, which provides visas for foreign students, scholars, and interns. The department gave no specific reason for the probe but cited the requirement that schools in the program must show a “demonstrated commitment to cultural exchange and mutual understanding.”
The Department of Education also opened investigations into five public universities—Louisville, Nebraska Omaha, Miami, Michigan, and Western Michigan—over scholarships allegedly favoring undocumented or foreign-born students. Federal officials say the inquiry aims to ensure U.S. citizens are not excluded from scholarship opportunities due to their birthplace.
“Neither the Trump administration’s America First agenda nor federal civil rights laws permit colleges to prioritize foreign-born students over American citizens,” said Craig Trainor, the department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The investigations were prompted by complaints filed by the Equal Protection Project, a conservative advocacy group. In a rare move, the Department of Education included a public statement from the group in its formal announcement.
Federal officials are also reviewing other scholarships that allegedly exclude broader demographics—such as Western Michigan’s aid package for African American, Native American, or Hispanic American students, and Louisville’s scholarship for LGBTQ+ students of color.
Only one of the five targeted schools responded immediately. A University of Michigan spokeswoman confirmed receipt of the notification but declined further comment.
The investigations are part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to reshape higher education institutions it views as politically adversarial or ideologically out of step. Harvard has been a repeat target, already facing a civil rights probe over its alleged discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students. Trump has previously threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status and freeze federal funding.
“The latest investigation is yet another retaliatory step taken by the administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights,” a university spokesperson told CNBC.
The administration’s broader campaign has expanded beyond elite private schools. Earlier this month, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania over alleged financial aid collusion. In June, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan resigned following Justice Department pressure related to DEI policies.
Trump has said he wants to divert federal funding away from universities that promote diversity and inclusion policies and instead channel it toward trade and vocational schools.
So far, more than a dozen universities—including Columbia, Northwestern, and UC Berkeley—have come under federal scrutiny as the administration pushes forward with what it calls a reform effort, and what critics see as a political purge.
