The Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that it is initiating proceedings to potentially bar Harvard University from receiving federal funding across all government agencies.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights has formally referred Harvard to the department’s suspension and debarment office, a rarely used but powerful mechanism that could temporarily or permanently exclude the university from federal contracts and grants. 

The move comes after the OCR issued a violation notice on June 30, finding that Harvard had shown “deliberate indifference” to antisemitic harassment against Jewish and Israeli students since October 7, 2023. 

Harvard filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s actions, arguing they constitute “unconstitutional retaliation to punish Harvard for defending its First Amendment rights.” A federal judge ruled in September 2025 that the administration’s funding freezes were unlawful, calling the antisemitism concerns a “smokescreen” for ideological attacks on prestigious universities.

If implemented, the debarment would affect Harvard’s substantial federal funding portfolio. The university receives more than $794 million in federal financial aid from HHS alone for fiscal years 2023-2025. The debarment process differs from previous funding freezes because it would apply government-wide, affecting not only HHS grants but also funding from agencies like the Department of Defense and National Science Foundation.

A suspension would temporarily block federal funding for up to one year while the government considers permanent exclusion, while full debarment would prevent the university from receiving federal contracts and grants for a specified number of years.

Harvard has 20 days to request a formal administrative hearing before an HHS administrative law judge, who will determine whether the university violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.