Washington: The Trump administration escalated its fight with Harvard University on Friday, placing the Ivy League school under extra financial oversight and threatening sanctions if it does not provide additional data on its admissions practices.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the department was placing Harvard under “heightened cash monitoring,” requiring the school to use its own funds to pay financial aid and then seek reimbursement from the government. She also warned of “further enforcement action” if Harvard does not provide records proving it no longer considers race in admissions.

Harvard did not respond to requests for comment. The moves are part of the administration's broader crackdown on colleges, with President Trump aiming to eliminate what he describes as liberal bias in higher education. Since taking office, the administration has cut federal research grants for non-compliant schools and pressed universities into paying large settlements to end federal investigations.

At Harvard, $2.6 billion in federal research funding was previously withheld after the school resisted changes to governance and disciplinary policies. A federal judge ordered the funding restored, calling the administration's actions a “targeted, ideologically-motivated assault.” On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services unfroze $46 million in research funding.

The Education Department is investigating Harvard's admissions practices to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling banning race consideration in college admissions. McMahon also cited concerns over Harvard's finances despite its $53 billion endowment, the largest of any university.