Defense Secretary Cuts Ties with Elite Universities in Military Education Overhaul

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed more than a dozen prestigious universities, including Ivy League schools, from a key military fellowship program. The move is part of the Trump administration's effort to eliminate what it calls "wokeness" in the military, replacing elite institutions with Christian schools and public universities.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s effort to eliminate what it considers “wokeness” from the military is dramatically altering how the Pentagon works with American universities, severing decades-old partnerships with elite institutions that have educated top military leaders while forming new alliances with Christian colleges and state schools.

Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continued his restructuring efforts by removing over a dozen top-tier universities from a military fellowship program that traditionally serves as a pathway to senior leadership positions. While this represents a relatively small change, it carries significant symbolic weight and has university administrators worried about additional reductions that could remove military personnel from their programs entirely.

Despite Hegseth’s broad declarations about ending all military enrollment at institutions he labels as anti-American, his actual cuts have been more selective. His focus has remained on graduate-level programs and professional certificates while leaving intact a much larger initiative that provides educational funding for approximately 200,000 active-duty and reserve personnel.

This broader initiative, called Tuition Assistance, provides financial support to service members pursuing education at virtually any accredited American institution. The funding reaches hundreds of campuses, including the same selective schools that Hegseth claims have “gorged themselves” on government dollars. However, an Associated Press review reveals that non-Ivy League institutions receive far more Pentagon funding, particularly large online universities and some for-profit schools that have faced fraud allegations.

The AP’s examination of 2024 data shows that approximately 350 military members used Tuition Assistance at Harvard, Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University, and other institutions targeted by Hegseth’s eliminations. In comparison, over 50,000 enrolled at the American Public University System, a for-profit online education provider with only a 22% graduation rate.

More than one-third of students receiving the benefit enrolled at for-profit institutions, exceeding enrollment at all private nonprofit colleges combined. State universities attract the largest share of military students through the program, with roughly 40% selecting these campuses. The benefit provides up to $4,500 annually.

The Pentagon’s decision to influence where service members should pursue education represents a dramatic departure from previous policy and constitutes “incredible overreach,” according to Lindsey Tepe, who specializes in military education at the American Council on Education, an organization representing university presidents.

“This is clearly the start of a broader effort to reshape military education, and I do think that this is a bad precedent to set,” Tepe said.

The changes have sparked anxiety about potential additional cuts, with some questioning whether programs like Tuition Assistance, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or other military educational initiatives covering law, medicine, and engineering studies might face similar restrictions.

Hegseth’s memo from last week made no reference to these programs. Instead, he focused on the Senior Service College Fellowship, an elite program allowing military personnel to pursue advanced education at universities, research institutions, and government agencies. This opportunity typically goes to mid-career professionals advancing toward leadership or specialized military positions.

The program affects relatively few students, with fewer than 80 participants across the 15 universities being eliminated this fall, according to Pentagon documentation. Beyond several Ivy League institutions, the Defense Department announced it would prohibit Georgetown University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Alumni from these institutions include numerous current and former military leaders. Retired Army General James McConville, who served as army chief from 2019 to 2023, completed a fellowship at Harvard, his military record shows. Lt. Gen. William Graham Jr., who currently heads the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, participated in MIT’s program.

Some critics argue the Trump administration is sacrificing technical knowledge for political ideology by excluding these institutions. These universities typically house leading researchers in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and quantum computing fields, explained William Hubbard, a vice president at Veterans Education Success, a nonpartisan organization.

“I’m not sure our enemies would be too upset about this,” said Hubbard, a Marine Corps veteran. “If I were waking up in Beijing and heard this news, I would be pleased.”

Harvard, frequently criticized by President Donald Trump, faces additional penalties. The Pentagon announced it’s prohibiting all graduate-level professional military education at Harvard, including fellowships and certificate programs.

Harvard’s government school responded this week by allowing active-duty personnel to postpone admission for up to four years. The institution also secured “expedited consideration” for these students at alternative universities, including the University of Chicago and Tufts University.

Notably, Hegseth earned his master’s degree from Harvard but ceremonially returned his diploma during a 2022 Fox News broadcast.

In last week’s memo, Hegseth criticized elite universities he describes as “factories of anti-American resentment” that undermine military principles. He recommended 15 replacement institutions for the fellowship program, selected for promoting intellectual freedom and having “minimal public expressions in opposition of the Department,” according to the document.

Liberty University tops the replacement list, a Christian institution with 16,000 campus students in Virginia and another 120,000 in online programs. The school already maintains a substantial military presence, enrolling over 7,000 students through Tuition Assistance, the AP analysis shows. Recent scandals have affected the campus, including the 2020 resignation of longtime president Jerry Falwell Jr.

Liberty issued a statement saying it hasn’t yet coordinated with the Pentagon about potential partnerships but appreciates Hegseth’s leadership. “We love this country and fully support the men and women in uniform who devote their lives in service to our nation,” the statement said.

Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school separately working with the White House on the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, also appears on the list. Hillsdale President Larry Arnn stated that too many institutions have abandoned America’s founding principles.

“If officers want serious education in the principles they swear to defend, Hillsdale is exactly where they should be,” Arnn said.

The replacement institutions include several flagship state universities, such as premier research schools like the University of Michigan, which recently reduced diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and the University of North Carolina. Hegseth stated that redirecting the fellowship will ensure “a more rigorous and relevant education to better prepare them for the complexities of modern warfare.”