Harvard joins list of institutions like Stanford, MIT, Cornell, which have already announced hiring freezes. Harvard received about $700 million in federal funding in the past academic year. Even before the Trump administration threatened funding cuts, Harvard signaled it needed to curtail spending. Cash gifts fell 15% to less than $1.2 billion during the most recent fiscal year amid a surge in alumni anger over the school’s handling of antisemitism. the hiring pause is temporary. It is meant to preserve our financial flexibility until we better understand how changes in federal policy will take shape and can assess the scale of their impact. We plan to leave the pause in effect for the current semester but will revisit that decision as circumstances warrant. Third, while we continue to plan for multiple scenarios in both the short and long term, rest assured that Harvard is working hard to advocate for higher education in our nation’s capital and beyond. Expanding access to higher education for all, preserving academic freedom, and supporting our community’s research, teaching, and learning will always be our highest priorities. We are enormously grateful for your dedication and commitment as we work collectively to advance our mission. Though current uncertainties touch every corner of higher education, we are confident that we will be able to address the present challenges as well as continue to pursue academic excellence in the nation and the world.