Harvard University cited "rapidly shifting federal policies" in its announcement Monday, but didn't elaborate on what it meant.

We need to prepare for a wide range of financial circumstances,” Harvard president Alan Garber and other university leaders said.

Harvard University and MIT have implemented hiring freezes as the White House crackdown on higher education continues to escalate. Why it matters: Austerity measures at Massachusetts' two most prominent and wealthiest universities mean trouble for the state,