May 27, 2025
Harvard opened its doors, or at least computer labs, to students worldwide to take a number of classes focusing on government affairs for free.
If you’re looking to stimulate your mind during the summer months, Harvard University is offering free courses for everyone on the heels of President Donald Trump demanding international students be kicked out.Â
The announcement comes days after Trump demanded a list of foreign students enrolled at Harvard, according to ABC News, the latest outburst in an apparently endless battle with the Ivy League institution.
On his Truth Social app, the president claimed 31% of students attending are foreign, which conflicts with his promise to “Make America Great Again.” “Why isn’t Harvard saying that almost 31% of their students are from foreign lands and yet those countries, some not all, friendly to the United States, pay nothing toward their student’s education, nor do they ever intend to,” he wrote. Â
In response, Harvard has opened its doors, or at least computer labs, to students from anywhere in the world to take a number of classes focusing on government affairs for free. Some of the offered classes include “American Government,” “Constitutional Foundations,” “Citizen Politics in America: Public Opinion,” and “Lessons from Ebola: Preventing the Next Pandemic.”
Trump’s request was short-lived. A judge temporarily blocked his administration from trying to stop Harvard from enrolling international students, saying it showed it would “sustain immediate and irreparable injury” if Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certifications were revoked.
In addition, the judge placed a temporary restraining order on the Trump administration’s action prior to a scheduled May 27 hearing.
Making this a Homeland Security issue, Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to Harvard last week claiming it had lost the “privilege” to enroll international students since the school “refused” to comply with “multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information.”
The president’s disdain with Harvard began when the school was listed as one of few institutions that refused to fully fall back on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives following his controversial executive order. As a result of Harvard’s “defiance,” the administration froze over $2 billion in multi-year grants and contracts.
Social media started its own investigation into why Trump holds such disdain for the school. One picture circulating alleges that his ire comes from former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama getting in while he and his children—Don Jr. Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, and Barron—allegedly received rejection letters.Â
While offering free courses, Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, continues to push back on Trump’s threats, saying freezing funding doesn’t stop the fight against antisemitism. Garber says it may hurt the school some but not as much as the war on antisemitism and racial discrimination hurts the country.
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