Five higher education lawsuits to watch in 2026, led by Harvard, NIH and NSF challenges to Trump policies
US higher education faces a pivotal year in court as lawsuits challenging Trump administration policies continue into 2026. Major cases involve Harvard University’s fight over frozen federal funding, legal challenges to NIH and NSF research cost caps and DEI-related grant terminations, disputes over student speech and deportations, and a constitutional challenge to Texas’ after-dark campus speech law. Together, the cases could reshape federal authority over universities nationwide.
US higher education faces a pivotal year in court as lawsuits challenging Trump administration policies continue into 2026. Major cases involve Harvard University’s fight over frozen federal funding, legal challenges to NIH and NSF research cost caps and DEI-related grant terminations, disputes over student speech and deportations, and a constitutional challenge to Texas’ after-dark campus speech law. Together, the cases could reshape federal authority over universities nationwide.
