Trump threatens to take away $3 billion of grant money from Harvard and give it to trade schools

WASHINGTON: US President Trump said on Monday he is considering taking $3 billion of previously awarded grant money away from Harvard University and giving it to trade schools across the US.His comments, which were made on Truth Social, come less than a week after his administration sought to block the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students. Trump has frozen some $3 billion in grants to Harvard in recent weeks, leading the university to sue to restore the funding. Most of that grant money is appropriated by Congress for the National Institutes of Health to disburse to fund biomedical research, however, which is not typically done at trade schools.

Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House did not immediately comment on what specific funds Trump wants to repurpose.On Friday, a US judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students, a policy the Ivy League school said was part of Trump's broader effort to retaliate against it for refusing to "surrender its academic independence".

The order provides temporary relief to thousands of international students, who were faced with potentially having to transfer under a policy the university called a "blatant violation" of the US Constitution and other federal laws.

It said the move would have an "immediate and devastating effect" on the university and more than 7,000 visa holders. Harvard enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in its current school year, representing 27% of total enrollment.The move was the latest escalation in a broader battle between Harvard and White House, as Trump seeks to compel varsities, law firms, media, courts and other institutions to align with his agenda. (This is a Reuters story)