Student Union
Harvard Under Fire Over Federal Funding
Harvard University says it has not applied for or received federal funds intended for small businesses during the COVID pandemic but has received other funds earmarked for U.S. colleges and universities.
"Harvard did not apply for, nor has it received any funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses. Reports saying otherwise are inaccurate," the university tweeted Tuesday amid a storm of controversy over the school taking taxpayer money while it operates a $40.9 billion endowment.
"Like most colleges and universities, Harvard has been allocated funds as part of the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund," the university's official account tweeted.
"By federal formula laid out in the CARES Act, Harvard was allocated $8.6 million, with 50% of those funds to be reserved for grants to students. Harvard will actually allocate 100% of the funds to financial assistance for students."
News erupted on social media that Harvard — which has the largest endowment of all U.S. universities — received $8.6 million in public funds for COVID-19 related disruption.
Thousands of people tweeted that Harvard was a privileged institution with ample funding and should not be granted or accept any public funding. President Donald Trump, other politicians and notable Harvard alumni also contributed to the issue.
"Harvard should give back the money now. Their whole 'endowment' system should be looked at!" tweeted Trump. In a daily COVID press conference, he said, "I want Harvard to pay the money back, OK? If they won't do that, then we won't do something else."
"President Trump is right," Harvard responded, "that it would not have been appropriate for our institution to receive funds that were designated for struggling small businesses."
A defender of Harvard pointed to the university's needs-blind admissions policy, which admits students on merit and ensures their education funding.
"So they should spend down the endowment instead?" tweeted writer S.V. Date. "And then what? Offer fewer scholarships to poor families? Because Harvard does quite a lot of that. Further, the money they got was specifically for colleges to help students. It wasn't PPP money."
Other Ivy League institutions — nicknamed for being long-established in higher education and selectivity — are receiving similar funding. Yale was allocated $6.8 million, while Cornell and Columbia universities, both in New York, are getting $12.8 million each. Yale's endowment is $30 billion. Cornell has an endowment of $7.3 billion; Columbia's endowment is $10.9 billion.
The federal Department of Education, which released $6 billion for colleges and universities "to provide direct emergency cash grants to students" less than a month ago, added $6.2 billion more "to ensure learning continues," the department said Tuesday.
"The funding is available through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump," the education department said in a release Tuesday.
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Police arrest 33 at George Washington University protest encampment
Police in Washington cleared a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday, arresting 33 people, authorities said.
Arrests were made on charges of assault on a police officer and unlawful entry, the District of Columbia's Metropolitan Police Department said.
A congressional committee canceled a hearing on the university encampment Wednesday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith had been scheduled to testify about the city’s handling of the protest before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
University parents and faculty members gathered Wednesday afternoon for a press conference to condemn the handling of the protests by police and school leaders.
“The university clearly does not value the students at all and has endangered the safety of our children by unleashing officers dressed in full riot gear to assault and spray our children in their eyes with pepper spray,” said Hala Amer, whose son participated in the campus protests.
Police said they dispersed demonstrators because "there has been a gradual escalation in the volatility of the protest."
American University professor Barbara Wien said she stayed in the encampment with GW students. She described the student protesters as democratic and peaceful.
Police started to shut down the tent encampment after dozens of protesters marched to GW President Ellen Granberg's on-campus home on Tuesday night. Police were called, but no arrests were made.
Speakers at the conference called for Granberg’s resignation because, they alleged, she refused to meet and negotiate with student protesters.
“You keep inciting violence and ignoring the students,” Amer said about Granberg in an interview with VOA after the conference. “It will just lead to more violence. You need to talk to your students.”
GW officials warned students that they could be suspended for engaging in protests at the school’s University Yard, an outdoor spot on the campus.
"While the university is committed to protecting students' rights to free expression, the encampment had evolved into an unlawful activity, with participants in direct violation of multiple university policies and city regulations," a GW statement said.
More than 2,600 people have been arrested at universities across the country in pro-Palestinian protests, according to The Associated Press.
Students are calling on their university administrations to divest investments from Israel or companies with ties to Israel. Demonstrators have gathered in at least 50 campuses since April 17, carrying signs that read "Free Palestine" and "Hands off Rafah."
Rafah is Gaza’s southernmost city, where most of the territory’s population has clustered. The area is also a corridor for bringing humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory.
Israel seized the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, while shutting off the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing, drawing criticism from humanitarian groups. Israel said Wednesday that it had reopened Kerem Shalom.
The nationwide campus protests started in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza that began after Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages.
More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel warned it could "deepen" its operation in Rafah if talks failed to secure the release of the hostages.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.
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