Columbia University agrees to $221 million settlement with the Trump admin
Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration, part of which stipulates that the university will pay the federal government over $220 million, according to a Wednesday announcement.
'While Columbia does not admit to wrongdoing with this resolution agreement, the institution's leaders have recognized, repeatedly, that Jewish students and faculty have experienced painful, unacceptable incidents and that reform was and is needed,' the institution said.
What's in the deal?
As part of the deal, the 'vast majority' of the $400 million in federal grants Columbia had been approved for that were terminated or paused in March 2025 will be reinstated, according to the institution. The agreement also guarantees that the university will have access to future federal funding.
'Importantly, the agreement preserves Columbia's autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions and academic decision-making,' the university said.
The battle between the Trump administration and Columbia began when the institution was issued an ultimatum in March. Federal officials told the university it must abide by a list of requirements they had laid out for it or risk jeopardizing its 'continued financial relationship with the United States government.'
The institution responded by agreeing to implement a series of policy changes. Most recently, Columbia announced that students who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations would face expulsion or suspension for one to three years, as well as probation and degree revocations.
'This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty. The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track. Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest,' said Claire Shipman, Columbia's acting president.
Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) said in a statement that the 'need' for a federal settlement shows the university's 'lack of institutional willingness to effectively respond to antisemitism.'
'This school and its so-called leaders have failed time and time again to keep Jewish students, faculty, and staff safe. True progress requires universities to confront antisemitism proactively, in partnership with affected communities. We will closely monitor Columbia's purported commitment to this agreement and continue to develop legislative solutions to address antisemitism,' he said.
The university will pay a $200 million settlement over three years and $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the institution said.
Additionally, a 'jointly selected independent monitor' will assess the implementation of the resolution, and the university will provide regular reports to demonstrate that they are adhering to the deal.
Read more: Columbia expels, suspends students who participated in pro-Palestine protests
The settlement between Columbia and the Trump administration comes as Harvard University discusses its own deal with federal officials. As talks continue, Harvard's two lawsuits against the federal government are progressing through the court system.
One lawsuit targets the cutting of over $2.6 billion in federal funding to the institution, while the other challenges the administration's attempts to revoke the university's ability to host international students.
What has happened between Columbia and the Trump admin?
In April 2024, Columbia's student protests against the war in Gaza garnered international media coverage, especially after a protest encampment took over a campus building.
After taking office in January 2025, the Trump administration criticized Columbia's response to the protests and issued a series of demands. The university later agreed to implement a list of policy changes, including the adoption of a new definition of antisemitism and an overhaul of its rules for student protests. It also consented to an immediate review of its Middle Eastern studies department.
Later this spring, the Trump administration sent Harvard a similar list of demands, leading to pushback from the institution through its two lawsuits.
Quickly following in Harvard's footsteps, Columbia pledged not to make any agreement with the federal government that would 'relinquish our independence and autonomy,' according to a message from the university's president.
The Trump administration has also targeted individual protesters such as Mahmoud Khalil — a lawful U.S. resident who, until December 2024, was a graduate student at Columbia. Khalil was detained in March for engaging in pro-Palestinian protests and faced potential deportation. He is now suing the Trump administration.
Read more: Threatened deportation of Columbia activist sends shockwaves through Mass. higher ed
In the months since the Trump administration first sent Columbia its list of demands, federal officials have not eased pressure on the university to give in to its agenda. In June, the U.S. Department of Education threatened to rescind Columbia's accreditation, citing an inadequate response by the university to campus antisemitism.
The U.S. Department of Education also announced it would investigate Columbia for failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic discrimination and harassment. Six Massachusetts institutions were also named in the investigation.
'Today's agreement with the federal government affirms Columbia's unyielding commitment to academic freedom, freedom of expression and open inquiry. It confirms the changes already underway at Columbia to meaningfully address antisemitism on our campus and allows the University to continue to undertake its transformative research and scholarship,' said Board of Trustees Co-Chairs David Greenwald and Jeh Johnson.
More Higher Ed
State Department announces investigation into Harvard international visas
Brandeis gets tax-free $135 million bond for new residence hall
Columbia expels, suspends students who participated in pro-Palestine protests
'That Harvard education is paying off for you': Judge jabs at Trump lawyer in Harvard case
As Harvard faces federal funding cuts, its medical school secures new donations
Read the original article on MassLive.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
20 minutes ago
- CNN
Failed New Mexico candidate gets 80 years for convictions in shootings at officials' homes
A failed political candidate was sentenced to 80 years in federal prison Wednesday for his convictions in a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in Albuquerque in the aftermath of the 2020 election. A jury convicted former Republican candidate Solomon Peña earlier this year of conspiracy, weapons and other charges in the shootings in December 2022 and January 2023 on the homes of four Democratic officials, including the current state House speaker. Prosecutors, who had sought a 90-year sentence, said Peña has shown no remorse and had hoped to cause political change by terrorizing people who held contrary views to him into being too afraid to take part in political life. Peña's lawyers had sought a five-year sentence, saying their client maintains that he is innocent of the charges. They have said Peña was not involved in the shootings and that prosecutors were relying on the testimony of two men who bear responsibility and accepted plea agreements in exchange for leniency. 'Today was a necessary step toward Mr. Peña's continued fight to prove his innocence,' said Nicholas Hart, one of Peña's attorneys. 'He looks forward to the opportunity to appeal, where serious issues about the propriety of this prosecution will be addressed.' The attacks took place as threats and acts of intimidation against election workers and public officials surged across the country after President Donald Trump and his allies called into question the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Prosecutors said Peña resorted to violence in the belief that a 'rigged' election had robbed him of victory in his bid to serve in the state Legislature. The shootings targeted the homes of officials including two county commissioners after their certification of the 2022 election, in which Peña lost by nearly 50 percentage points. No one was injured, but in one case bullets passed through the bedroom of a state senator's 10-year-old daughter. Two other men who had acknowledged helping Peña with the attacks had previously pleaded guilty to federal charges and received yearslong prison sentences.
Wall Street Journal
20 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Chinese Imports Fell During Trump's First Term. It's Happening Again.
President Trump recently delayed for 90 days raising tariffs on China to give the two sides more time to negotiate a trade deal. Where the sides ultimately end up is an open question: The president hasn't said how much more he will impose on China beyond the 30% currently in place if a deal isn't reached. But this much is clear: The U.S.'s reliance on Chinese goods has fallen off since Trump first put tariffs on China in 2018.
New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
Law Firms That Settled With Trump Are Pressed to Help on Trade Deals
Two of the law firms that reached deals with President Trump this year to avoid punitive executive orders were connected in recent months with the Commerce Department about working on trade deals, according to three people briefed on the matter. The firms, Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden Arps, were connected to the department by Mr. Trump's personal lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, two of the people said. Mr. Epshteyn, who does not hold a government position, played a direct role in brokering the initial deals between Mr. Trump and the law firms, in which the firms agreed to do pro bono work on causes the president has championed, like helping veterans, military families and first responders. His previously undisclosed efforts connecting the firms with the Commerce Department shows how he is seeking to impose Mr. Trump's expansive view of the deals, including recruiting firms to work for the government in advancing the administration's agenda. After Mr. Epshteyn helped connect the firms with the government in recent months, Kirkland and Ellis went on to work on the trade deals the administration struck with Japan and South Korea, which were announced in July, according to three of the people. It is unclear if Skadden Arps has done work for the administration. Earlier this year, after the law firms struck deals with Mr. Trump, the president said that he had a broader understanding of the terms than the firms had let on, saying the pro bono work included helping the administration on trade deals and could even be applied to representing him in a personal capacity. It's unclear whether Kirkland & Ellis did the work for free or charged the Commerce Department. But the revelation of the firm's work marks the first time that it has been publicly revealed that one of the firms that cut a deal with Mr. Trump is now doing work for the administration. Representatives of Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden Arps did not immediately respond to requests for comment. When asked for comment, Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, did not directly address the latest developments. Instead, he said, Mr. Trump 'has radically changed the business of discrimination, including by ending D.E.I. in Big Law.' He added: 'Law firms that have for years propelled one-sided justice by providing pro bono resources to those causes that make our nation more dangerous and less free have started serving their nation.' Benno Kass, the director of public affairs for the Commerce Department, said the agency and the secretary, Howard Lutnick, 'are working with some of America's top law firms and legal minds to cement the truly historic trade deals that President Trump negotiated for the American people.' He did not specify which firms or what work they were doing. Mr. Epshteyn would not provide comment. Nine firms reached deals with Mr. Trump to head off executive orders. In total, the firms pledged nearly a billion dollars in pro bono legal work. At least some of the other firms are said to have been connected with the administration to do work for the government, but it's unclear which firms or what issues they were discussing working on. None of the firms have acknowledged any wrongdoing. They were targeted with punitive executive orders or implicit threats for representing or aiding Mr. Trump's political foes or employing people he sees as having used the legal system to come after him. The deals have been criticized by many in the legal community as unconstitutional and undemocratic, and have led to splits inside some of the firms about the wisdom of agreeing to terms with the White House.
