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Harvard Faces Subpoena in Tuition Price-Fixing Inquiry Led by House Republicans

By  |  June 26, 2025

Harvard University is facing mounting scrutiny from the House Judiciary Committee as part of an ongoing investigation into tuition and financial aid policies among Ivy League schools. According to a statement from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Subcommittee Chairman Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), Harvard has been issued a subpoena after what lawmakers describe as a lack of cooperation with their inquiry.

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    The investigation, which centers on whether Ivy League institutions are engaging in coordinated pricing and selective financial aid strategies, prompted lawmakers to formally request additional documentation from Harvard. In a letter addressed to interim President Alan Garber, Jordan and Fitzgerald expressed concern that schools may be engaging in “perfect price discrimination” to increase revenue under the guise of financial aid.

    “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 lawmakers stated in their letter.

    Per the statement, Harvard is required to comply with the subpoena by July 17.

    Related: Congressional Hearing Scrutinizes Ivy League Tuition and Alleged Antitrust Violations

    In response, a Harvard spokesperson said the university is “disappointed” by the decision to issue a subpoena, calling it “unwarranted, unfair and unnecessary.” The university maintains that there is “no basis for an allegation of collusion” in how it determines tuition and distributes financial aid.

    Harvard emphasized its cooperation with the investigation, noting it has provided “thousands of pages of documents” in good faith and outlining efforts to expand affordability. According to the spokesperson, the university’s financial aid model includes full tuition and fee waivers for families earning under $100,000 and full tuition coverage for those making under $200,000.

    However, lawmakers say Harvard has been less forthcoming than other Ivy League schools. According to the letter sent to President Garber, the university initially produced just 138 documents by May 22—many of which were publicly available—and had missed the original April 22 deadline, which had been extended at Harvard’s request. The total number of documents submitted remained under 400, reportedly one of the lowest response rates among peer institutions.

    Only Harvard has received a subpoena as of now, underscoring what committee officials describe as the institution’s failure to meet the committee’s document production expectations, per the statement.

    Source: Mass Live