Latest news with #tuition
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
House Panel Subpoenas Harvard in Tuition-Pricing Inquiry
The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Harvard on Thursday in its investigation into whether Ivy League universities have coordinated their pricing, turning up pressure on a school already in an all-out battle with the Trump administration. In the subpoena letter, Representatives Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Scott Fitzgerald, a Wisconsin Republican who leads a key subcommittee, demanded documents and communications about the university's tuition and financial aid by July 17. They said they were issuing the subpoena after Harvard's response to an earlier request for information was 'inadequate' and 'substantively deficient,' with much of the material that was turned over already publicly available. Harvard disputed the committee's assessment. 'We are disappointed that the committee has chosen to issue a subpoena and believe it is unwarranted, unfair and unnecessary,' said Jason Newton, a Harvard spokesman. He added that the university 'has produced thousands of pages of documents regarding our tuition setting process and financial aid program.' The subpoena threatened to break open yet another front in what has become a sprawling legal battle between Harvard and Republicans in Washington. The Trump administration has sought to punish the university for not acceding to its demands as President Trump pushes to shift the ideological tilt of the higher education system. The university has been the target of investigations from at least six federal agencies, and the administration has already tried to cut off billions of dollars in federal funding and block international students from attending Harvard, among other measures. Courts have halted many of the Trump administration's actions, and the university has become a symbol of resistance for not bowing to Mr. Trump. But Harvard officials have concluded their legal victories alone may not be enough to protect the university and are debating whether they might be able to reach a deal with the administration. The House Judiciary Committee had originally sought information in a letter to Harvard on April 8, alleging that Ivy League schools were 'collectively raising tuition prices' in breach of antitrust laws and were 'engaging in perfect price discrimination by offering selective financial aid packages to maximize profits.' They requested a large swath of documents between Harvard, other Ivy League schools and the College Board that contained any communication related to tuition, financial aid and admission practices. As part of the request, the committee asked for any documents related to the 568 Presidents Group, a collection of universities that worked to provide similar tuition prices and financial aid. The organization was dissolved in 2022 amid a class-action lawsuit. Harvard was not involved in the group or in the lawsuit. In an attempt to address its high tuition, Harvard announced in March that students whose families earned less than $100,000 could attend the school for free, while those whose families earn less than $200,000 would not have to pay the cost of tuition.
CNA
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
US House committee subpoenas Harvard over tuition costs
The US House Judiciary Committee sent a subpoena to Harvard University on Thursday (Jun 26) seeking documents and communications for its probe into tuition costs and financial aid for Ivy League students. A letter to Harvard President Alan Garber, signed by committee chairman Jim Jordan and US Representative Scott Fitzgerald, both Republicans, described Harvard's response to previous requests for documents as inadequate and said the committee needs the documents "to fulfil its oversight and legislative responsibilities". A spokesperson for Harvard said in a statement: "We are disappointed that the Committee has chosen to issue a subpoena and believe it is unwarranted, unfair and unnecessary." It added: "There is no basis for an allegation of collusion in Harvard's setting of tuition and financial aid." The investigation into tuition is part of a larger fight between Harvard and the White House and Congress, including over cuts to federal funding and efforts to block foreign students from attending the university. President Donald Trump has said he is trying to force change at Harvard - and other top-level universities across the US - because in his view they have been captured by leftist "woke" thought and become bastions of antisemitism. The subpoena comes as part of an investigation by the Republican-controlled US House Judiciary Committee into whether Harvard and other Ivy League schools broke antitrust laws by raising tuition costs. "We are concerned that Ivy League member institutions appear to be collectively raising tuition prices while engaging in perfect price discrimination by offering selective financial aid packages to maximise profits," the letter to Harvard's Garber said. US Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee, called the investigation "plainly ridiculous" and "based on pathetically weak allegations". The Harvard spokesperson said the school has produced thousands of pages of documents on its tuition-setting process and financial aid. While the Judiciary Committee said it had received hundreds of requested documents, it added that some of them contained publicly available facts and lacked specific information that was desired.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US House committee subpoenas Harvard over tuition costs
June 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. House Judiciary Committee sent a subpoena to Harvard University on Thursday seeking documents and communications for its probe into tuition costs and financial aid for Ivy League students. A letter to Harvard President Alan Garber, signed by committee chairman Jim Jordan and U.S. Representative Scott Fitzgerald, both Republicans, described Harvard's response to previous requests for documents as inadequate and said the committee needs the documents "to fulfill its oversight and legislative responsibilities." A spokesperson for Harvard said in a statement: "We are disappointed that the Committee has chosen to issue a subpoena and believe it is unwarranted, unfair and unnecessary." It added: "There is no basis for an allegation of collusion in Harvard's setting of tuition and financial aid." The investigation into tuition is part of a larger fight between Harvard and the White House and Congress, including over cuts to federal funding and efforts to block foreign students from attending the university. President Donald Trump has said he is trying to force change at Harvard - and other top-level universities across the U.S. - because in his view they have been captured by leftist "woke" thought and become bastions of antisemitism. The subpoena comes as part of an investigation by the Republican-controlled U.S. House Judiciary Committee into whether Harvard and other Ivy League schools broke antitrust laws by raising tuition costs. "We are concerned that Ivy League member institutions appear to be collectively raising tuition prices while engaging in perfect price discrimination by offering selective financial aid packages to maximize profits," the letter to Harvard's Garber said. U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee, called the investigation "plainly ridiculous" and "based on pathetically weak allegations." The Harvard spokesperson said the school has produced thousands of pages of documents on its tuition-setting process and financial aid. While the Judiciary Committee said it had received hundreds of requested documents, it added that some of them contained publicly available facts and lacked specific information that was desired.
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
The Trump administration is suing Minnesota over breaks in higher education for immigrant students
Minnesota became the latest state Wednesday to face a lawsuit from the Trump administration seeking to force it to give its high school graduates who entered the U.S. illegally as immigrants the same lower tuition rates reserved for in-state citizens. The U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit also seeks to strike down a law that allows the same immigrant students to receive scholarships covering part or all of their tuition under the state's North Star Promise program. The department filed its case in federal district court in Minnesota, naming Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic state Attorney General Keith Ellison as defendants, along with the state's Office of Higher Education. The Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits this month against policies in Kentucky and Texas. Last week, a federal judge in Texas blocked that state's law giving a tuition break to students living in the U.S. illegally after the state's Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, said he supported the legal challenge. Walz's office said it is reviewing the lawsuit 'to better understand what this means for the state.' The lawsuit argued that Minnesota is 'flagrantly violating' a federal law that prevents states from providing a benefit in higher education to resident students living in the U.S. illegally if U.S. citizens cannot receive the same benefits. States generally set higher tuition rates for out-of-state students. Also, President Donald Trump issued executive orders in February directing federal agencies to see that public benefits do not go to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and to challenge state and local policies seen as favoring those immigrants over some citizens. The lawsuit argues that the Republican president's orders enforce federal immigration laws. The lawsuit also argues that Minnesota's policies discriminate against U.S. citizens. 'No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,' U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. The Justice Department's lawsuit in Minnesota noted the cases filed earlier this month in Kentucky and Texas but did not mention any other states as potential targets of litigation. However, in discussing the Texas case, Bondi has suggested more lawsuits might be coming. Last year, Florida ended its tuition break for students living there illegally, but at least 21 states have laws or policies granting them, in addition to the University of Michigan system, according to the National Immigration Law Center, which favors them. Those states include Democratic-leaning ones such as California and New York, but also GOP-leaning ones like Kansas and Nebraska. According to the center, at least 16 states allow the immigrant students to receive scholarships or other aid to go to college. Supporters of the state tuition breaks argue that they don't violate federal law if they provide the same rates to U.S. citizens in the same circumstances — meaning they are residents of the state and graduates of one of its high schools. Generally states have imposed other requirements. For example, Minnesota requires male students to have registered with the U.S. Selective Service System and all students to be seeking legal resident status if that's possible. Backers of the laws also argue that the students generally were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, often when they were far younger, and are as much a part of their local communities as U.S.-born students. Also, they contend that such immigrants tend to be motivated high achievers.
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
The Trump administration is suing Minnesota over breaks in higher education for immigrant students
Trump legal cases Immigration Student lifeFacebookTweetLink Follow Minnesota became the latest state Wednesday to face a lawsuit from the Trump administration seeking to force it to give its high school graduates who entered the U.S. illegally as immigrants the same lower tuition rates reserved for in-state citizens. The U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit also seeks to strike down a law that allows the same immigrant students to receive scholarships covering part or all of their tuition under the state's North Star Promise program. The department filed its case in federal district court in Minnesota, naming Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic state Attorney General Keith Ellison as defendants, along with the state's Office of Higher Education. The Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits this month against policies in Kentucky and Texas. Last week, a federal judge in Texas blocked that state's law giving a tuition break to students living in the U.S. illegally after the state's Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, said he supported the legal challenge. Walz's office said it is reviewing the lawsuit 'to better understand what this means for the state.' The lawsuit argued that Minnesota is 'flagrantly violating' a federal law that prevents states from providing a benefit in higher education to resident students living in the U.S. illegally if U.S. citizens cannot receive the same benefits. States generally set higher tuition rates for out-of-state students. Also, President Donald Trump issued executive orders in February directing federal agencies to see that public benefits do not go to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and to challenge state and local policies seen as favoring those immigrants over some citizens. The lawsuit argues that the Republican president's orders enforce federal immigration laws. The lawsuit also argues that Minnesota's policies discriminate against U.S. citizens. 'No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,' U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. The Justice Department's lawsuit in Minnesota noted the cases filed earlier this month in Kentucky and Texas but did not mention any other states as potential targets of litigation. However, in discussing the Texas case, Bondi has suggested more lawsuits might be coming. Last year, Florida ended its tuition break for students living there illegally, but at least 21 states have laws or policies granting them, in addition to the University of Michigan system, according to the National Immigration Law Center, which favors them. Those states include Democratic-leaning ones such as California and New York, but also GOP-leaning ones like Kansas and Nebraska. According to the center, at least 16 states allow the immigrant students to receive scholarships or other aid to go to college. Supporters of the state tuition breaks argue that they don't violate federal law if they provide the same rates to U.S. citizens in the same circumstances — meaning they are residents of the state and graduates of one of its high schools. Generally states have imposed other requirements. For example, Minnesota requires male students to have registered with the U.S. Selective Service System and all students to be seeking legal resident status if that's possible. Backers of the laws also argue that the students generally were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, often when they were far younger, and are as much a part of their local communities as U.S.-born students. Also, they contend that such immigrants tend to be motivated high achievers.
