Donald Trump calls for 15% cap on foreign students in Harvard University to make it 'great again'

US President Trump said on Wednesday that Harvard University should reduce its number of international students to around 15 per cent in order to improve access for American students. This follows recent actions by the administration to freeze federal funding and restrict Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students.

"I think they should have a cap of maybe around 15 per cent, not 31 per cent. We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, [but] they can’t get in because we have foreign students there," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House.

President Donald Trump said Harvard University should cap its foreign student enrollment at 15%.

“We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, they can’t get in because we have foreign students there," he said Wednesday at the White House https://t.co/q9mBOIElaJ pic.twitter.com/GvDOpNogQR

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Last month, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard. Last week, it also paused the university’s ability to enroll international students. These actions came after Harvard leaders did not meet government requests to address antisemitic incidents and to share lists of foreign students with federal officials.

"Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect," Trump said. "I want Harvard to be great again."

Trump also suggested moving federal funding away from Harvard and giving it to trade schools. Harvard has reported that 27.2 per cent of its student body for the 2024–2025 academic year is international.

"They’re taking $5 billion and I’d rather see that money go to trade schools. And by the way, they’re totally antisemitic at Harvard, as you know, and some other colleges too, in all fairness to them, and it’s been exposed, very exposed," Trump said.



"Every time they fight, they lose another $250 million. Yesterday, we found another $100 million. And they have, you know, they have a fund, an endowment, $52 billion, all right? They got a lot of that from the United States. And I think it’s ridiculous."

Trump added: "Everyone’s coming up to me saying, ‘We love the idea of trade schools, with that kind of money … you can have the best trade schools anywhere in the world."

President Donald Trump has railed against Harvard, calling it a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. The school filed a lawsuit April 21 over the administration's calls for changes to the university's leadership, governance and admissions policies. Since then, the administration has slashed the school's federal funding, moved to cut off enrollment of international students and threatened its tax-exempt status.