Harvard Business School is being asked to plug a university budget gap as federal funding cuts and endowment pressure mount. Internal notes reviewed by The Harvard Crimson show HBS increased its surplus contribution target for fiscal 2026 and faced further higher targets for fiscal 2027, while outlining expense cuts and deferred spending to hit internal goals. HBS said every school must improve the university’s overall picture. The reporting also describes operational belt-tightening that affected areas like staffing coverage, deferred IT work, and reductions across catering, travel, and events—shifts that fall directly on campus support and faculty workload. The development highlights how, amid tighter university revenue, business schools’ cash-generating models can become a strategic lever within consolidated operating plans, even when specific funding streams face their own headwinds.