Ex-presidential aide Valerie Jarrett found herself in hot water in her adopted hometown for agreeing to take a $30,000 speaking fee from a public university that’s going broke, a new report said Tuesday.

President Obama’s longtime adviser and confidante eventually waived the fee for delivering a commencement address at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago after an outcry over the hefty payment, Politico reported.

The university shut down over spring break and also announced unpaid furlough days for staffers, the most recent in a string of measures taken to fight financial woes caused by a lengthy partisan state budget debate.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the details in Jarrett’s contract, and that a private donor agreed to pay her fee once university leaders raised objections.

“While keenly aware of the financial challenges in Illinois, we were not aware of the specific issues facing Northeastern Illinois University or that a donor would be paying for the speaking fee,” Amy Brundage, a Jarrett spokeswoman, told Politico.

“Jarrett notified [University] President [Richard] Helldobler this morning that she will not be accepting a speaking fee for the commencement address. Jarrett looks forward to addressing the graduates and other members of the NEIU community next month.”

NEIU board members were not amused about the deal paying so much for a speaker at a time the school is cutting programs and struggling to survive.