WASHINGTON, Oct 1 — In a move that’s sparking both controversy and curiosity, former President Donald Trump announced that his administration is nearing a US$500 million (RM2.1 billion) financial settlement with Harvard University. The unusual deal would see the prestigious Ivy League institution take on a new role—operating trade schools across the country.
“We’re getting very close,” Trump said in a statement from the White House. “They’d be paying about US$500 million, and they’ll be running trade schools. They’re going to teach people how to do AI, work with engines, and a lot of other things.”
Trump described the initiative as a “big investment in trade school done by very smart people,” adding that “then their sins are forgiven”—a remark that drew both smirks and scrutiny.
Harvard has yet to respond publicly to Trump’s comments.
This announcement comes in the middle of a tense battle between Trump’s administration and major academic institutions. Trump has repeatedly criticized universities like Harvard for allegedly promoting “woke” ideologies and not doing enough to protect Jewish students during recent pro-Palestinian campus protests—claims Harvard strongly denies.
In fact, tensions reached a boiling point earlier this year when a federal judge in Boston ordered the administration to unfreeze US$2.6 billion in federal funds for Harvard. The court found that the Department of Education had “used antisemitism as a smokescreen” for what it called an ideologically motivated crackdown on top universities.
Still, the administration pressed on. Just two weeks after the judge’s ruling, it introduced new restrictions that forced Harvard to use its own funds for student financial aid packages, rather than relying on federal support.
Harvard isn’t alone in this storm. Columbia University recently agreed to pay US$200 million and pledged to eliminate race-based considerations in hiring and admissions. Meanwhile, the University of Pennsylvania announced it would ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports, following pressure from the administration.
A New Chapter in Higher Education?
If the deal moves forward, it could mark a radical shift in how elite institutions interact with broader American society. Trade education—long seen as the domain of community colleges and technical schools—could now gain Ivy League backing, bringing prestige and innovation to vocational training.
But for many, the question lingers: Is this genuine reform or political theatre?
Regardless of which side of the debate you’re on, one thing is certain—higher education in America is changing, and fast.
Let’s hope, amid the politics and policies, students remain the true beneficiaries of these changes. Because at the heart of every university—elite or otherwise—should be the goal of empowering people through learning.
