After $400m cut, Trump administration escalates Columbia pressure with accreditation threat
The Trump administration has warned Columbia University that it risks losing its accreditation after allegedly failing to protect Jewish students during campus protests. The Department of Education formally notified Columbia's accrediting agency, saying the university's leadership showed 'deliberate indifference' following the October 7 Hamas attack. Columbia has already lost $400 million in federal grants and faces further sanctions if it fails to comply. The move marks a wider crackdown on elite universities accused of tolerating antisemitism under new federal oversight rules.
FILE -- Columbia University in New York, March 31, 2025. The Trump administration escalated its attack on Columbia University on Wednesday, July 4, 2025, by taking a warning shot against its accreditation, a key credential that all American universities need to have in order to receive federal student aid. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times)
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The US Department of Education has formally warned Columbia University 's accreditor that the Ivy League institution has violated federal anti-discrimination laws, intensifying its clash with the university over antisemitism on campus. This latest move raises the prospect of Columbia losing its accreditation—a decision that could significantly impact students' access to federal loans and aid.'The school's leadership acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus,' US Education Secretary Linda McMahon said on Wednesday.The department said Columbia had failed to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination in federally funded programmes. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education , which accredits Columbia, confirmed it received a formal notice but offered no further comment.Accreditation is not just symbolic—it's financial lifeblood. Only accredited universities can offer students access to federal student loans and Pell Grants. For Columbia, the stakes are high. According to the university, 21% of undergraduates at Columbia College and Columbia Engineering receive Pell Grants.'Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid,' McMahon stated. 'They determine which institutions are eligible for federal student loans and Pell Grants.'If Columbia is found to be out of compliance and fails to rectify the issues, its accreditor could place it on probation or eventually withdraw its status—actions that can limit or cut off federal funding entirely.The warning follows months of pressure from the Trump administration, which earlier this year cancelled $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia over its handling of antisemitism claims. The university responded by initiating investigations into students critical of Israel, forming a new disciplinary committee, and reorganising its Middle East studies department.The administration has consistently argued that elite universities are failing to protect Jewish students amid rising campus protests over Israel's war in Gaza. Columbia has been a focal point, with mass student encampments in spring and jeers at university leadership during commencement ceremonies in May. Over the past 18 months, the university has cycled through multiple presidents.President Donald Trump has been vocal about what he sees as entrenched bias within top universities. At a campaign event, he singled out Columbia while also criticising Harvard.'Columbia has been very, very bad — what they've done, they're very antisemitic and lots of other things — but they're working with us on finding a solution,' Trump said.'Harvard has to understand the last thing I want to do is hurt them. They're hurting themselves. They're fighting.'In April, Trump signed a new executive order instructing the Education Secretary to monitor and penalise accreditors who allow member institutions to violate the Civil Rights Act. The Department of Education said it has 'an obligation to provide accreditors with any noncompliance findings related to member institutions' under this new mandate.Columbia said it was 'aware of the concerns raised' by the Department and had communicated directly with its accreditor.'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,' the university said in a statement.However, the Middle States Commission has yet to announce how it will proceed. If it finds Columbia noncompliant and the university does not resolve the issues, it could eventually strip accreditation. The university would then lose access to federal funding, placing further strain on its operations and students.This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more details emerge.
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