Harvard President Alan Garber has agreed to voluntarily reduce salaries by 25% in the 2025-26 school year, a funding cut imposed by the Trump administration, totaling about $2.2 billion.
A Harvard spokesman told Fox News about salary cuts, adding that other leaders across the institution are voluntarily donating given the major challenges facing the school.
The university also announced a recruitment suspension in March, requiring “schools and administration to review discretionary and non-sales spending, reassess the scope and timing of capital renewal projects, and conducts a rigorous review of any new multi-year commitments.”
In addition, schools within the Harvard University Central Government announced that from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026, faculty and staff will not have any excellent compensation for fiscal year 2026.
Harvard University sues Trump administration for 'illegal' billion-dollar budget cuts
Harvard President Alan Garber has agreed to cut 25% in the absence of federal funding. (Paul Marotta/Getty Images)
This is not the first time Garber has reduced voluntary payments. In April 2020, as schools faced financial challenges caused by the pandemic, the pre-Garber volunteered to cut salaries by 25%.
Harvard Crimson Report says past presidents could make up for up to $1 million a year.
Harvard has become the target of Trump's wider crackdown on universities, much of which is in response to the anti-Israel unrest that broke out across campuses across the country last year.
Trump freezes Harvard funds. Money to these universities may also be on the chopping street
A spokesman said Harvard announced a hiring pause in March, which also required “schools and administration to review discretionary and non-sales spending, reassess the scope and timing of capital renewal projects, and conducts a rigorous review of any new multi-year commitments.” (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Image)
On April 11, the Trump administration sent a letter to Garber and Harvard chief member Penny Pritzker outlining the agency’s failure and the White House’s list of demands. In the letter, the government accused Harvard of failing to uphold civil rights laws and promoting “environment that produces intellectual creativity.”
The Trump administration threatens to conduct recruitment and admission practices by August this year, even if Harvard does not reform governance and leadership and its recruitment and admission practices, it will charge federal funds. The letter highlights the need for Harvard to change its international admissions process to avoid enrolling “hostile” students toward American values or support terrorism or anti-Semitism.
Harvard president says he has “no choice” but fights the Trump administration
President Donald Trump has targeted Harvard by freezing his federal funding, which has sued the Trump administration. (Getty Images | Istock)
Harvard refused to comply with the requirements, and Garber said: “No government … should decide what private universities can teach, people they can acknowledge and hire and areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration subsequently freezes $2.2 billion in funding and is reportedly seeking to cut $1 billion.
Click here to get the Fox News app
The university later filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s “illegal” freeze of funds.
Greg Norman and Andrea Margolis of Fox News Digital contributed to the report.
