Harvard trims course assistant pay, cuts hiring in math and computer science amid funding crunch

Harvard University has reduced pay for course assistants (CAs) and cut back on undergraduate teaching staff across several departments, as the university navigates steep financial challenges tied to federal funding reductions and a new endowment tax.

The changes, announced at the start of the fall semester, have fueled concerns about teaching quality and increased tension between the administration and student unions.

Pay reductions and reclassification

In the Mathematics and Physics departments, course assistant pay has been lowered from $23 to $21 per hour, bringing compensation to the university’s minimum contract wage. The reclassification of CA positions was initiated by the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE), but the transition has caused confusion, as many assistants continue to handle responsibilities typically associated with higher-paid roles such as grading, class support, and student mentoring.The Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers (HGSU-UAW) has argued that the university made unilateral changes during ongoing contract negotiations, raising the prospect of grievances and potential legal disputes under the National Labor Relations Act, which bars wage changes during active bargaining.

Decline in teaching assistant hiring

The cuts extend beyond pay. The Mathematics department has reduced upper-level CA hiring by around 25 percent compared to last year.

The flagship introductory course in Computer Science, CS50, has seen its undergraduate teaching team shrink from 37 assistants to 25 this semester.Faculty have also reduced working hours for the assistants who remain, with some instructors reportedly turning to personal research budgets to fill gaps in support. This reduction in manpower is expected to affect grading timelines, discussion section sizes, and overall student access to academic guidance.

Financial pressures on the university

Harvard officials attribute the measures to the university’s broader budget strain. The introduction of an 8 percent federal endowment tax on large universities is projected to cost Harvard as much as $1 billion annually, while ongoing reductions in federal research funding have further limited financial flexibility.In response, the university has frozen faculty hiring, paused merit-based raises, and implemented layoffs in certain schools.

Despite Harvard’s $50 billion endowment — the largest in higher education — administrators argue that much of the capital is restricted to specific uses, making it difficult to offset immediate budget gaps.

Growing labor disputes

The timing of the pay cuts has deepened the divide between Harvard and its graduate student union. The HGSU-UAW has signaled plans to file a grievance, maintaining that the university’s actions undermined collective bargaining.

The conflict reflects a larger struggle over governance and transparency in how financial pressures are addressed.

Impact on teaching and learning

The reduction in staff and pay has implications for classroom dynamics. Fewer assistants mean larger student-to-teacher ratios, slower turnaround times for coursework evaluation, and less individualized support. For courses with historically high enrollments, such as mathematics and computer science, these adjustments risk diminishing the quality of instruction and student engagement.

Harvard’s balancing act

The developments illustrate the growing tension between Harvard’s global reputation and the fiscal constraints it faces in the current political and economic environment. As university leaders attempt to shield research and teaching from external financial pressures, the challenge will be to manage costs without eroding the support structures that underpin the undergraduate academic experience.