Brown has spent at least $600,000 on lobbying efforts so far this year, nearly doubling their total expenditures from last year, according to public filings reviewed by The Herald.
From April to June, the University’s lobbying efforts focused on visa issues, free speech, the endowment tax hike and federal funding disruptions. That quarter, the University spent a total of $270,000 in lobbying expenditures as it faced scrutiny from the Trump administration, culminating in a $510 million funding freeze that was resolved in a July agreement with the White House.
The University is required to file public quarterly lobbying reports that include information about expenditures, individuals who lobbied on its behalf and what issues were targeted.
The University’s lobbying expenditures have been increasing in recent years, rising from $200,000 in 2022 to $350,000 in 2024.
While Brown’s lobbying expenses were substantially lower than its peer institutions in previous years, its spending in 2025 has been comparable to other Ivy League schools — many of which were also hit with federal funding freezes this spring.
Harvard and Penn spent $500,000 and $450,000 on lobbying in the past year, respectively. Columbia’s lobbying expenditures are the highest in the Ivy League, topping out at $1,040,000.
University Spokesperson Brian Clark told The Herald that many universities increased their spending as Congress weighed the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The bill included an increased endowment tax rate from 1.4% up to no more than 8% for universities with endowments of over $2 million per student, as well as a number of changes to federal financial aid.
In the bill, the tax rate was determined by the ratio of endowment dollars per student. The higher the ratio at a given college, the higher the tax excised.
In a House-passed version of the legislation, this rate was calculated only using domestic students. Under this calculation, Brown had a higher per-pupil ratio and was subject to an increased endowment tax. But, after the bill made its way through the Senate, the calculations included nearly all students, lowering the per-student endowment ratio for most universities.
For Brown, this change proved critical. Under the new legislation, the University would only be expected to pay the 1.4% rate it has been subject to for years.
Earlier this year, the University hired two firms to lobby the federal government on its behalf for the first time since at least 2002, The Herald previously reported.
In May, Brown terminated its relationship with one of those firms, AxAdvocacy Government Relations. Clark called this decision a routine change to “match the evolving federal policy landscape and to steward resources responsibly.” Prior to their termination, AxAdvocacy lobbied Congress and the Trump administration on behalf of Brown for higher education funding and the endowment tax.
The lobbyists who represented Brown through AxAdvocacy had significant ties to the Republican Party. The University continues to work with Cornerstone Government Affairs, a bipartisan lobbying firm.
Brown paid Cornerstone $50,000 to lobby on their behalf from April to June on “issues related to the University’s federal government supported research capabilities and impacts of changes in policy,” according to a public filing.
With $270,000 during the second quarter, Brown’s in-house lobbyist also worked on visa issues, free speech, academic freedom, disruptions in grant funding and the Deterrent Act, which would require additional information in disclosures of gifts and contracts received from foreign sources.
The University’s lobbying and advocacy efforts focus “on issues that are important to students, faculty and staff on our campus,” Clark wrote.
Brown’s current lobbying priorities include “federal funding for scientific research and student aid, immigration policy, college athletics, as well as other issues that Congress and the executive branch are debating,” he added.
Roma Shah is a senior staff writer covering University Hall and higher education. She's a freshman from Morgan Hill, CA and studies Neuroscience. In her free time, she can be found doing puzzles, hiking or curled up with a book.
Samah Hamid is a senior staff writer at the Herald. She is from Sharon, Massachusetts and plans to concentrate in Biology. In her free time, you can find her taking a nap, reading, or baking a sweet treat.
