Latest news with #MSCHE
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Hits Columbia With Big New Threat Even After It Caved
Surrender wasn't enough to spare Columbia University from Donald Trump's wrath. The Department of Education issued a new threat against Columbia Wednesday, this time targeting its accreditation. The department alleged that the elite New York City school was 'in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws' for failing to stamp out antisemitism on campus. The DOE's press release revealed that it had notified the organization responsible for ensuring that Columbia is in compliance with accreditation standards of the alleged violation. '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 Linda McMahon, Trump's education secretary. 'This is not only immoral, but also unlawful. Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid.' The move is an escalation in Trump's war on top universities. Since March, the president's administration has frozen $400 million in federal funding to Columbia. The university acquiesced to Trump's list of demands that month—including a ban on face masks and a vow to harshly protest pro-Palestinian student protesters. Losing accreditation would strip the university of state and federal financial funding, such as Pell Grants for low-income students. It could also inflict damage to Columbia's reputation and make its undergraduates ineligible for many graduate programs. Columbia's accreditor, Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), requires that it follow relevant laws. The Education Department is alleging that the university has violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to 'meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment on Columbia's campus.' While the Department of Education plays a role in setting accreditation standards, the organizations that determine whether a university is following them, like the MSCHE, operate independently. The MSCHE told the Daily Beast in a statement that it had received the letter from the Education Department but declined to comment further. Columbia did not immediately return a request for comment. Last week, Trump praised Columbia's deference and said that the school had earned a reprieve from his attacks. 'You know, Columbia has been really—they were very, very bad, what they've done. They're very antisemitic and lots of other things,' he said. 'But they're working with us on finding a solution, and, you know, they're taken off that hot seat.' In the months since Columbia gave into Trump's demands, one of its peers, Harvard University, has fought a fierce legal battle to avoid following suit. Harvard's defiance has earned it an escalating series of punishments—$2.5 billion in frozen funds, a threat against its tax-exempt status, and a push to strip its ability enroll international students. Despite suffering losses in court, Trump has declared that he is winning the war. 'But Harvard wants to fight. They want to show how smart they are, and they're getting their a-- kicked,' the president said. Harvard's president, Alan Garber, has urged other colleges and universities to fight back against Trump. 'I would say that we need to be firm in our commitments to what we stand for,' he told NPR.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Columbia accreditation at risk: School to lose federal student loans and Pell Grants? Education Dept's big warning
The Education Department said Columbia University no longer appeared to meet accreditation standards, signalling that the school's federal student loans and Pell Grants might be at risk. Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement on Thursday that the university is in violation of anti-discrimination laws over its handling of pro-Palestinian protests. McMahon said that Columbia's leadership 'acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus' after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. 'Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid. They determine which institutions are eligible for federal student loans and Pell Grants. Just as the Department of Education has an obligation to uphold federal antidiscrimination law, university accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards,' she added. The Education Department further stated in a press release that it has notified the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that the Trump administration found that the school failed to meaningfully protect students during the protests, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The press release further cited a federal law, which the administration says requires accreditors to notify member institutions if they were in noncompliance and establish a plan to bring them back into compliance. 'If a university fails to come into compliance within a specified period, an accreditor must take appropriate action against its member institution,' the statement said. This comes after President Donald Trump recently said that Columbia 'wants to get to the bottom of the problem'. 'They've acted very well. And there are other institutions too, they're acting, but Harvard is trying to be a big shot," he said at an Oval Office meeting. Accreditation review: MSCHE must investigate Columbia's noncompliance, per 34 C.F.R. § 602.20(a), during its ongoing 2024–25 review. Columbia may need to submit a compliance plan to address Title VI issues. Financial aid risk: Accreditation is tied to federal funding eligibility. While aid for Columbia's 36,000 students (50% rely on it) remains intact, failure to resolve issues could jeopardize Pell Grants and loans. Accreditation loss: If unresolved, MSCHE could revoke accreditation, rendering credits non-transferable and degrees less valuable, affecting employability in fields like finance. Enrollment decline: Safety concerns and uncertainty could reduce enrollment, particularly among international students.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
SCOOP: Trump admin escalates pressure on Columbia as Ed Dept questions university's accreditation
EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights sent a notice to the accrediting body that audits Columbia University on Wednesday, notifying it that the Ivy League school is currently failing to meet its standards for accreditation. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which is a recognized accrediting body for degree-granting higher education institutions across the Mid-Atlantic, ensures that its member schools – such as Columbia – meet established standards of academic quality, integrity, institutional effectiveness and more. MSCHE is one of several accrediting institutions across the country that the Department of Education deems reliable. Only institutions accredited by Department of Education-recognized accreditors are eligible to participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs, such as Pell Grants and federal work-study or student loan programs. The notice to MSCHE marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration's efforts to hold Columbia accountable for failing to tamp down antisemitism on its campus. "Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid. They determine which institutions are eligible for federal student loans and Pell Grants. Just as the Department of Education has an obligation to uphold federal antidiscrimination law, university accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. "We look forward to the Commission keeping the Department fully informed of actions taken to ensure Columbia's compliance with accreditation standards, including compliance with federal civil rights laws." After launching an investigation into Columbia in February, the Trump administration opted to cancel $400 million in federal grants over the university's "failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment." Subsequently, Columbia agreed to make changes in an effort to prevent the funds from being canceled. The school took steps to overhaul its policies around protests, safety and security, while also reorganizing its Middle Eastern studies department. The changes also included adopting a new campus-wide definition of antisemitism. Meanwhile, last month, Columbia said it would be cutting around 180 staff members in an effort to "preserve [the university's] financial flexibility." "Across the research portfolio we have had to make difficult choices and unfortunately, today, nearly 180 of our colleagues who have been working, in whole or in part, on impacted federal grants, will receive notices of non-renewal or termination," acting Columbia University President Claire Shipman said last month. "This represents about 20% of the individuals who are funded in some manner by the terminated grants." "In the coming weeks and months, we will need to continue to take actions that preserve our financial flexibility and allow us to invest in areas that drive us forward," Shipman continued. "This is a deeply challenging time across all higher education, and we are attempting to navigate through tremendous ambiguity with precision, which will be imperfect at times." Fox News Digital reached out to Columbia for comment, but did not receive a response by publication deadline.
