Trump education Secy Linda McMahon Grilled In House Hearing: ‘World of wrestling different than…'
Congressman Mark Pocan grilled Education Secretary Linda McMahon over her WWE-style hiring and firing practices, quipping, 'Maybe the world of all-star wrestling is different than my world of business-to-business.' The viral exchange sparked laughter and debate on Capitol Hill as McMahon defended her record.
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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Why is Columbia University's accreditation under threat from the Trump administration?
FAQs Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Trump's administration is trying to take away Columbia University's accreditation because it says the university didn't protect Jewish students properly. This move could stop Columbia students from getting federal loans and aid, which would make it super expensive and hard to attend for many students, as per Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Columbia ignored the harassment of Jewish students after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. McMahon called Columbia's actions 'immoral' and 'unlawful', saying the university didn't follow anti-discrimination laws. She wrote a letter to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, saying Columbia doesn't seem to meet the standards needed to stay accredited, according to an NDTV World accreditation is super important because it decides if a school can get federal money from the US Education Department. Columbia already lost $400 million in federal grants and contracts earlier in February 2025 due to how it handled antisemitism issues. Even though Columbia made changes, like fixing its Middle Eastern Studies department, the Trump team was still not satisfied, as per the report by has also gone after other universities like Harvard, blaming them for not protecting Jewish students during protests over the Israel-Gaza war. The whole situation is part of Trump's bigger fight with top US colleges, accusing them of being unfair and not doing enough to stop antisemitism, as stated in the Trump administration believes that the university failed to curb anti-semitism in the might not get federal loans or aid, making it very expensive to study there.
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Business Standard
9 hours ago
- Business Standard
Trump admin warns Columbia may lose accreditation over antisemitism
The Trump administration has accused Columbia University of violating civil rights law by failing to address campus antisemitism, putting its accreditation at risk New Delhi The Trump administration has warned that Columbia University could lose its accreditation over its alleged failure to address antisemitism on campus—a move that could block access to federal student aid for thousands of students. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the Education Department told Columbia's accrediting agency that the school may no longer meet the standards needed to stay accredited. Loss of accreditation would affect student financial aid This does not mean Columbia has lost its accreditation yet, but it is a serious warning. Losing accreditation would mean the university could no longer take part in the federal student loan system, making it nearly impossible for most students to attend. Education Department asks accreditor to monitor Columbia The Education Department asked the accreditor—the Middle States Commission on Higher Education—to work with Columbia to fix the issues. It also asked them to take 'appropriate action' if the school doesn't improve. Trump officials accuse Columbia of ignoring harassment 'After Hamas' October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, Columbia University's leadership acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus,' said Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Columbia responds to federal concerns The accrediting body confirmed it had received the letter but did not give a statement. Columbia said it is aware of the government's concerns and has been working directly with the accreditor. 'Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus. We take this issue seriously and are continuing to work with the federal government to address it,' a spokesperson was quoted as saying by the WSJ. What happens if Columbia loses accreditation? Columbia has not lost its accreditation yet, but the warning is a significant escalation. Losing accreditation would bar the university from participating in the federal student loan system, making it financially inaccessible for many students and disrupting operations. Why is the Trump administration targeting Columbia over antisemitism? The move comes as Columbia continues to negotiate with the Trump administration over federal funding and future oversight. In March, the administration cancelled $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia due to concerns about antisemitism. The university agreed to follow a list of demands. Now, the government wants Columbia to accept a consent decree. This would place the university under a federal judge's supervision to ensure compliance with civil rights laws. What did the federal investigation find at Columbia? A government investigation found that Columbia failed to protect Jewish students by not responding adequately to repeated antisemitic acts. The report cited unpunished vandalism, including swastika drawings, and a lack of enforcement of protest guidelines. It added that the university only began implementing preventive measures in mid-2023. Why is university accreditation important in the US? Accreditation allows universities to participate in federal financial aid programmes, including Pell Grants and student loans. Without it, students lose access to federal funds, and the university risks operational paralysis. Though rare, accreditation loss carries serious consequences. How is Trump changing accreditation rules for colleges? In April, President Trump signed an executive order to tighten accreditation standards, calling it his 'secret weapon' for reforming higher education. The new rules aim to curb ideological bias on campuses and prioritise intellectual diversity and student outcomes. ALSO READ:
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First Post
10 hours ago
- First Post
Now, Trump threatens Columbia University's accreditation: How will this impact students?
The Trump administration is escalating its attack on Columbia University, now targeting its accreditation. This could affect the Ivy League school's ability to qualify for federal loans, making it unaffordable to many potential candidates across the country read more A New York City police officer keeps watch on the campus of Columbia University in New York. File image/AP Donald Trump's war against US universities is ongoing and escalating. On the day, the US president signed a proclamation to suspend international visas for new students at Harvard University, the Trump administration also escalated its battle with Columbia University, notifying the New York education institution that the school doesn't meet accreditation standards because of its failure to protect Jewish students. This is a huge move against Columbia University, a decision that could significantly impact students' access to federal loans and aid. This threat also comes after the administration cancelled $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia over its handling of antisemitism claims. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As Trump keeps up his attack on elite universities, we take a closer look at just what it means if Columbia loses accreditation. What's the latest in Trump vs Columbia? On Wednesday, Trump took his fight against Columbia one step ahead with Education Secretary Linda McMahon sending a letter to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the non-governmental organisation that accredits Columbia, stating that New York City college 'acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students' in a manner that violated federal anti-discrimination laws. The letter said that because Columbia was in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws, the Education Department believes it fails to meet the standards for accreditation. 'University accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards,' Linda McMahon said in a news release. She said the government looked forward to being 'fully informed of actions taken to ensure Columbia's compliance with accreditation standards, including compliance with federal civil rights laws.' Students at Columbia's main campus, in Manhattan, New York. The Trump administration has escalated its fight with Columbia University, declaring the school doesn't meet accreditation standards. File image/Reuters In the statement, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that after an investigation, which began in February, the two departments found that 'Columbia failed to meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment on Columbia's campus and consequently denied these students' equal access to educational opportunities to which they are entitled under the law'. 'This is not only immoral, but also unlawful,' McMahon further added. What would it mean if Columbia loses accreditation? But what exactly does all of this mean? Essentially, Trump is threatening to strip Columbia's accreditation. For those who don't know, accreditation, which is a mundane aspect of higher education, gives a college the ability to qualify for federal student loans and Pell Grants — a source of financial aid. This means that if the Trump administration through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education does nullify Columbia's accreditation it would be stripping the university's ability to receive federal grants, making it inaccessible to most across the country. How? With a price tag of more than $71,000 per year for tuition and fees (not including room and board), losing access to federal student loans and Pell Grants would make Columbia unaffordable to most across the US. In fact, the university's website says it awards $225 million each year in scholarships and grants and that 24 per cent of first-year students receive Pell Grants. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Stripping Columbia of its accreditation could take away the school's ability to qualify for federal student loans and Pell Grants. File image/AP However, some experts note that Trump's latest move poses no immediate risk as revoking accreditation could take years. 'This is another semi-random attack against a celebrity institution,' Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education, an association that includes many colleges and universities in its membership, told the New York Times. 'They are trying once again to skirt due process in order to score political points.' Antoinette Flores, the director of higher education accountability and quality at New America, a Washington think tank, also told the New York Times that the letter 'is definitely an escalation. It is trying to weaponise the accreditor to get the institution to bend to its will.' How has Columbia University reacted? Columbia University reacting to the Education Department's letter said it is 'aware of the concerns raised' by the agency to the commission, adding, 'We have addressed those concerns directly with Middle States.' 'Columbia is deeply committed to combatting antisemitism on our campus. We take this issue seriously and are continuing to work with the federal government to address it,' reads the statement on the university's website. What actions have Trump taken against Columbia so far? The attack on Columbia's accreditation is the latest in Trump's war against the elite educational institutions of America. Back in March, the Trump administration pulled $400 million in federal grants from Columbia stating that it had failed to squelch antisemitism on campus. It demanded the Ivy League school make numerous changes to disciplinary and other policies to even begin talks of resuming federal funding. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Within two weeks, Columbia met the administration's demands. The Ivy League university has been on Trump's radar for quite some time — it was the epicentre for anti-Israel student protest movements, with some of the first student encampments cropping up on its lawn in April 2024. Pro-Palestinian demonstration encampment is seen at the Columbia University. File image/AP Later, it continued to create buzz with the arrests of its high-profile student activists such as Mahmoud Khalil in March and Mohsen Mahdawi in April. Both have been released, but face deportation proceedings. Trump's administration accuses the college of permitting demonstrators to create unsafe conditions for Jewish students on campus, something the students and college authorities have denied repeatedly. With inputs from agencies
