Stanford University laying off hundreds due to Trump cuts
Independent15 hrs
Stanford Lays Off 363 Employees Amid Federal Policy Changes
Above: Stanford University campus on March 28, 2025. Image copyright: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Trump's drastic changes in federal policy have forced Stanford to implement these layoffs. With reductions in federal research funding and higher rates of endowment tax, the university must cut expenditures to protect the integrity of its research and education programs. Affected staff will receive financial support from the university during this challenging period.
Narrative B
For decades, elite U.S. universities have amassed enormous endowment wealth while paying minimal taxes and steadily raising tuition, often outpacing inflation and leaving countless American students with crushing levels of debt. To correct this unforgivable imbalance, universities must pay more in endowment tax, preferably to the level of corporation tax.