Right now, MIT alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff are voicing their support for America’s scientific and technological leadership; for affordable, merit-based education; and for advances that increase U.S. health, security, and prosperity.

They are standing up for MIT and its mission to serve the nation and the world.

In May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would significantly increase the tax on the Institute’s endowment income. This legislation is now under consideration in the U.S. Senate. As a recent MIT statement noted:

“A tax of this magnitude would seriously damage the Institute’s ability to conduct research that strengthens our nation’s security and economic competitiveness. It would make it harder for us to make a world-class college education affordable for all families, too. It’s basically a tax on national research and student aid, and at MIT alone it would cut hundreds of millions of dollars from our budget each year. 

In our view, this doesn’t advance the nation’s economic well-being.”

MIT President Sally Kornbluth and the Institute's senior leadership are actively engaging in Washington, D.C., meeting with policymakers on both sides of the aisle to champion the importance of research, innovation, and education in sustaining American excellence. The Institute has also joined with its peer institutions and mission-aligned associations in filing federal suits in response to the research cuts imposed by national agencies. 
 
At home, academic and administrative departments across campus have reduced their budgets and instituted hiring freezes to navigate this unsettled financial climate, while weathering the negative effects of slowed or stopped projects and admitting fewer graduate students. 
 
The MIT community is working mind and hand to meet the moment, and Institute alumni and friends are an important part of the effort.