Columbia Agrees to $200 Million Fine to Settle Fight With Trump
Columbia Agrees to $200 Million Fine to Settle Fight With Trump
The White House had canceled more than $400 million in research funding to the university, saying it had failed to protect Jewish students from harassment.
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July 23, 2025
Columbia University will pay a $200 million fine to settle allegations from the Trump administration that it failed to do enough to stop the harassment of Jewish students, part of a sweeping deal reached on Wednesday to restore the university’s federal research funding, according to a statement from the university.
In exchange for the return of hundreds of millions in research grants, Columbia will also pledge to follow laws banning the consideration of race in admissions and hiring, and follow through on other commitments to reduce antisemitism and unrest on campus that it agreed to in March.
The deal, which settles more than a half-dozen open civil rights investigations into the university, will be overseen by an independent monitor agreed to by both sides who will report to the government on its progress every six months. Columbia will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty,” Claire Shipman, Columbia’s acting president, said in the release. “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.”
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The deal is a significant milestone in the Trump administration’s quest to bring elite universities to heel. Columbia is the first university to reach a negotiated settlement over antisemitism claims. Harvard, which has sued the administration over funding cuts, is also negotiating for restoration of its federal money. The expectation is that the Columbia settlement will provide a template for future deals.
Linda McMahon, the federal education secretary, said in a statement that the deal was “a seismic shift in our nation’s fight to hold institutions that accept American taxpayer dollars accountable for antisemitic discrimination and harassment.”
“Columbia’s reforms are a road map for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public by renewing their commitment to truth-seeking, merit and civil debate,” she said.
The agreement will restore the vast majority of the more than $400 million in grants terminated or frozen by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services in March. Columbia can also compete on equal footing for new grants. The university will pay the $200 million in three installments over three years.
Columbia receives about $
