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Updated July 9, 2025, at 8:48 a.m.

The Trump administration notified Harvard’s accreditor on Wednesday that the University is in violation of federal civil rights law and suggested that there was “strong evidence” that its accreditation should be revoked.

The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services sent the notification to the New England Commission of Higher Education a week after the HHS formally found that Harvard had violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by permitting discrimination against Jewish students.

“The Department of Education expects the New England Commission of Higher Education to enforce its policies and practices, and to keep the Department fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards,” wrote Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

McMahon reiterated the administration’s accusation that Harvard has acted with “deliberate indifference” to campus antisemitism and discrimination against Israeli students. For months, the White House has used accusations of antisemitism to order Harvard to crack down on protests against the war in Gaza — and to threaten the University’s funding streams.

The Education Department and HHS began investigating Harvard Medical School in February before expanding their review to all of Harvard in April.

Wednesday’s notification makes Harvard the second university to receive an official challenge to its accreditation status from the two agencies. Universities must be accredited, generally by a nonprofit agency recognized by the Education Department, to access federal research grants and student aid dollars.

Targeting Harvard’s accreditation — which certifies that it meets basic standards of academic quality, integrity, and legal compliance — is considered a rare and extreme step whose use against an elite institution is nearly unprecedented.

Harvard spokesperson Jason A. Newton wrote in a statement that the University was still compliant with NECHE standards and has taken policy steps to address antisemitism. The University is “far from indifferent on this issue and strongly disagrees with the government’s findings,” Newton wrote.

A Harvard spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In response to the HHS’s finding last week that Harvard had failed to respond to antisemitic harassment, the NECHE released a frequently asked questions document clarifying that a federal civil rights violation does not trigger automatic loss of accreditation — and that the government cannot compel the commission to revoke it.

Harvard’s accreditation status now hinges on how the University and NECHE choose to respond to the federal findings. Under Department of Education regulations, accreditors are required to assess whether institutions found in violation of civil rights law still meet accreditation standards. If Harvard is deemed out of compliance, NECHE must give the University a deadline to correct the violations.

Failure to do so could result in sanctions, probation, or ultimately, the loss of accreditation — putting at risk Harvard’s access to federal student aid, research funding, and other government support.

Harvard is not the first institution to have its accreditation put in limbo. In June, the Trump administration notified Columbia University’s accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, that the University had failed to meet the requirements necessary to maintain its accreditation status.

In response, the Commission issued a warning to Columbia, citing insufficient evidence that the University was upholding its standard of ethics and compliance with civil rights law. It required Columbia to submit a monitoring report by Nov. 3, 2025 and undergo a site visit in March 2026.

It is unclear whether NECHE will pursue a similar course of action with Harvard.

The Wednesday announcement brings to a head months of escalating scrutiny from federal officials and congressional Republicans, who had already targeted Harvard’s accreditation amid allegations of campus antisemitism. In October 2024, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) warned that the University’s accreditation could be at risk under a second Trump administration.

Since March, the Trump administration has pulled $3 billion in federal funding, repeatedly threatened Harvard’s ability to enroll and host international students, and launched multiple investigations into the University’s handling of campus antisemitism.

Although settlement negotiations quietly restarted late last month, the White House has simultaneously stepped up its pressure — issuing the formal Title VI violation and invoking accreditation as a new enforcement tool.

The Wednesday announcement came shortly after the Department of Homeland Security announced it would subpoena Harvard for documents related to alleged misconduct by international students and the school’s compliance with federal immigration law.

It also follows President Donald Trump’s executive order in late April which directed the Department of Education to investigate and potentially strip recognition from accrediting bodies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion-related policies.

The order made accreditors another tool in the federal government’s pressure campaign against universities, which it has accused of discriminating against white people through DEI programs and affirmative action.

The NECHE is one of 37 accrediting agencies recognized by the Education Department for purposes of Title IV federal student aid eligibility.

—Staff writer Dhruv T. Patel can be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @dhruvtkpatel.

—Staff writer Grace E. Yoon can be reached at grace.yoon@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @graceunkyoon.