NEW YORK – July 25, 2025 –
Columbia University has reached a sweeping settlement with the Trump administration, agreeing to pay over $220 million and implement significant policy changes in exchange for the restoration of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding previously withheld. The agreement, announced on Wednesday, July 23rd, follows months of intense scrutiny and financial pressure from the White House over the university’s handling of pro-Palestinian student protests and allegations of widespread antisemitism on campus.
Under the terms of the settlement, Columbia will pay $200 million to the federal government over three years to resolve claims of civil rights violations, primarily under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance. An additional $21 million will be paid to resolve allegations of civil rights violations against Jewish employees who reported harassment following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
The Trump administration had frozen approximately $400 million in federal grants to Columbia in March, citing the university’s alleged failure to adequately address antisemitic incidents and maintain order during student demonstrations. The threat of losing billions more in future research and other funding loomed large, pushing the Ivy League institution to the negotiating table.
Key components of the settlement include:
* Crackdown on Protests: While the university asserts it retains its autonomy, leaked details and official statements suggest Columbia has committed to revising its student disciplinary procedures to more effectively address disruptions caused by protests. This includes a reported agreement to suspend, expel, or revoke degrees from some 70 students who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The agreement also reportedly mandates stronger enforcement of campus order, including the deployment of additional public safety personnel and potential restrictions on certain protest behaviors like mask-wearing.
* Combating Antisemitism: Columbia has agreed to apply a federally endorsed definition of antisemitism not only in teaching but also in disciplinary reviews. A new administrator will be appointed to serve as a liaison on antisemitism issues, and the university will undertake a review of its Middle East curriculum to ensure it is “comprehensive and balanced,” along with appointing new faculty to its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies to promote “intellectual diversity.”
* Policy Reforms Beyond Protests: The agreement extends beyond protest management and antisemitism. Columbia will dismantle programs that promote “unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotas, diversity targets or similar efforts,” aligning with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that banned race-based affirmative action. The university will also be required to issue regular reports to an independent monitor, Bart Schwartz of Guidepost Solutions, assuring that its programs do not promote “unlawful DEI goals.”
* Transparency and Compliance: Columbia has agreed to provide the federal government with internal admissions and hiring data to assess compliance with merit-based standards. The university will also be required to implement training materials to “socialize all students to campus norms and values,” and establish processes to ensure students are committed to “civil discourse, free inquiry, open debate, and the fundamental values of equality and respect.”
* International Students: The agreement includes provisions to decrease Columbia’s financial dependence on international students and requires the university to ask prospective international students for their reasons for wishing to study in the United States. It also mandates that Columbia share information about disciplinary actions involving student visa holders with the government upon request, a move that could facilitate deportation for students involved in protests.
Acting University President Claire Shipman stated, “This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty.” She added that the university’s leaders have recognized the “painful, unacceptable incidents” experienced by Jewish students and faculty and that “reform was and is needed.”
The Trump administration hailed the settlement as a “historic” victory in its broader campaign to reshape higher education. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the deal “a seismic shift in our nation’s fight to hold institutions that accept American taxpayer dollars accountable for antisemitic discrimination and harassment.”
While Columbia emphasized that the agreement does not include an admission of wrongdoing and preserves its “autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions, and academic decision-making,” critics have voiced concerns that the settlement sets a dangerous precedent for federal intervention in academic affairs and campus free speech. Legal scholars and civil liberties advocates are closely watching how these new policies will be implemented and what impact they will have on student activism and the academic environment at Columbia and other universities facing similar pressures.
