After taking the oath of office Jan. 20, President Donald Trump promised that under his leadership, he would bring America into a new “golden age.”

Now, 100 days into his presidency, the nation is adapting to a significant shift in government policies and priorities. Trump has placed a special focus on universities, issuing dozens of executive orders and in many cases targeting some of the most highly-regarded institutions, including Columbia University and Harvard University. While Northeastern has not been publicly targeted by Trump, it has made changes in order to comply with the administration. In a March 24 update to its “Navigating a New Political Landscape” FAQ page, the university explained the rationale behind the changes. 

“We have an obligation to the entire Northeastern community – and to society as a whole – to make sure our work can continue,” the FAQ reads. “We will closely monitor the status of executive orders and actions as they are challenged through the court system. Failing to comply with the law could jeopardize student financial aid and federally funded research across a range of disciplines and projects.”

The administration has made a series of sweeping moves, including curbing the use of what it calls “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, programs, revoking the visas of  hundreds of international students and targeting freedom of speech.

Since Trump has taken office, Northeastern has used its “Navigating a New Political Landscape” FAQ page as the primary method of communication with community members about changes at the university. Originally published Jan. 30, the university has consistently directed The Huntington News to the FAQ page throughout the semester when asked for comment on the Trump Administration’s effect at Northeastern. 

The News compiled a list of programs at Northeastern that have been altered as higher education faces an onslaught of threats to academic freedom. Here’s what has changed. 

Job opportunities

• Federal funding cuts to research institutions and agencies and a federal hiring freeze have affected some Northeastern students’ co-op opportunities, leading to uncertainty and rescinded offers.
• Northeastern has slowed down hiring but denied a hiring freeze. Several higher education institutions across the country implemented hiring freezes due to cuts in federal funding.

Research

• A proposed cap on administrative research costs distributed by the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, and the Department of Energy could greatly reduce the funding available for research at Northeastern. Northeastern has $10.9 million worth of grants from the National Institutes of Health, according to the NIH database.
• The university lost two United States Agency for International Development grants, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David Madigan said in a March 12 faculty senate meeting.

DEI

• Northeastern no longer mentions DEI on its website. It says it has taken a “reimagined approach” that centers around “Belonging.” 
• The Latinx Student Cultural Center removed a statement on Black Lives Matter from its webpage, according to Internet Archive records reviewed by The News.
• The Trump administration gave universities a Feb. 28 deadline to cut all “race-based” programs or risk losing federal funding. Such programs at Northeastern include the Black Athlete Caucus, the Summer Bridge Scholars Program and National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, The News reported Feb. 26.

International programs

• Upon taking office Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order placing travel restrictions on countries of “‘particular concern.” This ban could restrict travel to the United States across 43 countries, labeled as either “red” with a complete travel ban, “orange” with visa restrictions or “yellow” with increased scrutiny. Northeastern issued a warning to students March 26 urging international students to “exercise caution when traveling or consider delaying international travel.” 
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student at Columbia University, and Rümeysa Öztürk, a doctoral student at Tufts University. Both had publicly expressed pro-Palestine views. 
• More than 40 Northeastern students and recent graduates had their visas revoked. No Northeastern student is believed to have had their visas revoked in response to activism
• Northeastern established a hotline around Feb. 7 for immediate concerns about immigration enforcement on campus through the Global Safety Operations Center.
• About a month after enacting mass status terminations, the Trump administration restored legal status to thousands of international students whose visas had not already been terminated, including “many” at Northeastern, allowing them to continue studying in the U.S. 

Sports

• The Trump Administration issued an executive order Feb. 5 that requires women’s sports to be played exclusively by those assigned female at birth and not taking hormone therapy. The News reported April 17 that Northeastern drastically changed its language around the participation of transgender student athletes in women’s sports, confirming that it will adhere to NCAA rules. 
• The Department of Education announced the creation of a Title IX Special Investigations Team to “ensure timely, consistent resolutions to protect students, and especially female athletes, from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities.” 

Financial aid

• The staff at the Department of Education responsible for financial aid was cut in half, possibly resulting in disruptions to collecting student information and calculating aid. 
• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, was changed to remove the non-binary gender option for the 2026-27 application cycle.