The US Department of War has removed 22 universities from its approved Professional Military Education (PME) list, effectively barring US Army officers from attending Senior Service College (SSC) fellowship programmes at these institutions.
The directive, issued by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, will take effect from the 2026–2027 academic year.
In total, 93 SSC fellowships have been cancelled.
WHAT HAS BEEN CANCELLED?
The memo eliminates fellowship placements at several Ivy League and elite institutions, including:
- Harvard University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Yale University
- Columbia University
- Princeton University
The Pentagon stated that future partner institutions must demonstrate “intellectual freedom, minimal relationships with adversaries, and minimal public expressions in opposition of the department,” along with strong national security or public policy programmes. – ,
FULL LIST OF 22 UNIVERSITIES REMOVED
| S. No. | Institution Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | Cambridge, Massachusetts, US |
| 2 | Saint Louis University | St. Louis, Missouri, US |
| 3 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, Massachusetts, US |
| 4 | Tufts University | Medford, Massachusetts, US |
| 5 | Georgetown University | Washington, DC, US |
| 6 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
| 7 | Brown University | Providence, Rhode Island, US |
| 8 | Columbia University | New York City, New York, US |
| 9 | Yale University | New Haven, Connecticut, US |
| 10 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, Vermont, US |
| 11 | Princeton University | Princeton, New Jersey, US |
| 12 | George Washington University | Washington, DC, US |
| 13 | College of William and Mary | Williamsburg, Virginia, US |
| 14 | Queen’s University | Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
| 15 | Center for Strategic and International Studies | Washington, DC, US |
| 16 | New America Foundation | Washington, DC, US |
| 17 | The Brookings Institution | Washington, DC, US |
| 18 | Atlantic Council | Washington, DC, US |
| 19 | Center for a New American Security | Washington, DC, US |
| 20 | Council on Foreign Relations | New York City, New York, US |
| 21 | The Henry L Stimson Center | Washington, DC, US |
| 22 | Johns Hopkins University SAIS – West Space Scholars Program | Washington, DC, US |
Total fellowships cancelled: 93
WHY THIS MATTERS
For decades, military officers have attended elite civilian universities for advanced strategy, technology, international affairs and policy training under Pentagon-funded programmes.
Some of the removed institutions have active defence collaborations. For instance, Carnegie Mellon University hosts the Army’s Artificial Intelligence Integration Center, linking military operations with AI research.
The decision marks a significant shift in how the Pentagon selects civilian education partners.
WHICH UNIVERSITIES MAY REPLACE THEM?
The memo proposes a new partner group including:
- Liberty University
- George Mason University
- Pepperdine University
- University of Michigan
- University of Florida
Several senior military colleges and Department of War-linked institutions are also on the revised list.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The revised PME list will apply from the 2026–2027 academic year. Officers currently enrolled are not immediately affected, but future fellowship placements will follow the updated guidelines.
The move signals a broader recalibration of military-academic partnerships, particularly around national security, technology and institutional alignment with Pentagon priorities.
