Harvard University is under growing pressure from its students, faculty, alumni, and supporters to reject a proposed $500 million settlement with the Trump administration, amid warnings that such a deal could compromise academic freedom and reshape higher education governance.

More than 14,000 people signed a letter sent Wednesday to President Alan M. Garber and the Harvard Corporation, the school’s top governing body. The letter said restoring billions in frozen federal research funds in exchange for political concessions would have a “chilling effect” on Harvard and other universities nationwide, according to The Harvard Crimson.

Talks between Harvard and the White House, ongoing since June, are reported to be nearing a resolution. The proposed deal would see Harvard pay $500 million toward vocational and educational programs in return for full restoration of its research funding. The administration is also pushing for the appointment of an external compliance monitor, which the university has resisted, The New York Times reported earlier this week.

Other Ivy League schools have already reached settlements. Columbia University agreed to pay $220 million, allow administrative reviews, and submit to outside oversight, while Brown University paid $50 million and shared admissions data on race and gender. Critics say such concessions set a precedent of political interference in academia.

The letter’s organizers, including student group Students for Freedom and alumni coalition Crimson Courage, warned that the Trump administration’s demands extend further at Harvard. They include restrictions on pro-Palestinian student groups, curbs on campus protests, and enhanced oversight of Middle East-focused academic centers.

Signatories are urging Harvard to protect international affiliates from politically motivated targeting, reject “extortionate” fines, and maintain independence in admissions and hiring decisions.

Campus pushback has escalated in recent months. Students for Freedom staged demonstrations last semester, while Crimson Courage rallied 12,000 alumni to sign an amicus brief supporting Harvard’s lawsuit over the funding freeze.

“Academic freedom and democracy are inherently tied, and once you knock down one side, the rest of the dominoes fall,” Evelyn J. Kim ’95, a Crimson Courage organizer, told The Harvard Crimson.

A Harvard spokesperson declined to comment on the letter or the progress of settlement discussions.