Ohio State president says Ivy League schools in 'survival mode' after $221M Columbia deal

Time of India

29-07-2025

Ohio State University President Ted Carter said that Ivy League schools are currently in "survival mode" following Columbia University's $221 million settlement with the Trump administration over blocked federal funding.
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His remarks were made during an interview on CBS News's Face the Nation, where he discussed the state of higher education institutions in the US.
When asked whether he would agree to a similar settlement had his university faced a comparable situation, Carter responded, "I can't speak to those institutions because I'm not leading them," as quoted by The Hill. He added, "I know both President Shipman and some of the other Ivy League presidents are colleagues, and they're having to do, I think, what I would call, be in survival mode, quite frankly," referring to Columbia University's acting President Claire Shipman.
Columbia agreed to pay $221 million in settlement
Columbia University agreed to pay $221 million as part of a settlement to restore over $400 million in federal funding that had been withheld by the US Department of Education. The funding was originally cut off by the Trump administration, citing alleged inaction on campus antisemitism, as reported by The Hill.
The settlement was announced on July 21 and allows Columbia to regain access to federal funds without admitting to any wrongdoing.
The settlement does not include any admission of fault by the university.
Trump administration cited antisemitism and ideological bias
The Trump administration initially blocked the funding on grounds that Columbia had failed to respond adequately to antisemitic incidents on campus. However, US Education Secretary Linda McMahon later indicated that the decision was also influenced by broader ideological concerns.
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"This is a monumental victory for conservatives who wanted to do things on these elite campuses for a long time because we had such far left-leaning professors," McMahon said in an interview on Fox Business Network, as reported by The Hill.
Ohio State distances itself from Ivy League situation
Carter emphasized that Ohio State University has not faced a similar federal funding dispute. "We're not going through any of that here at Ohio State, and nor do I think that we will," he stated during the interview, as quoted by The Hill.
Columbia University had been one of the central locations of pro-Palestinian demonstrations during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. These campus protests drew national attention and were part of the broader context surrounding the settlement agreement.
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