Columbia University has agreed to pay $200 million to the Trump administration to resolve allegations it failed to protect Jewish students during campus protests related to the Israel-Gaza war.
The three-year settlement, announced jointly by the university and the federal government, comes in exchange for the reinstatement of a portion of the $400 million in federal grants that had been frozen earlier this year.
The Ivy League institution was the first university targeted by President Donald Trump’s administration as part of a broader crackdown on campuses accused of allowing antisemitism, supporting diversity and inclusion policies, and tolerating protests against Israel’s military actions.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump confirmed the deal, saying, “Columbia has also committed to ending their ridiculous DEI policies, admitting students based ONLY on MERIT, and protecting the Civil Liberties of their students on campus.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the agreement as “a seismic shift in our nation’s fight” to hold elite universities accountable. “I believe they will ripple across the higher education sector and change the course of campus culture for years to come,” she added.
The agreement includes several reforms Columbia has already started implementing.
These include restructuring its Middle Eastern studies department, increasing campus police presence, banning face masks at protests, requiring student IDs at demonstrations, and disciplining students involved in Gaza protest encampments. An independent monitor will also be appointed to oversee enforcement of the terms.
Claire Shipman, Columbia’s acting president, called the settlement “an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty.” She emphasised that the university admitted no wrongdoing and said the agreement “protects the values that define us and allows our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track.”
Columbia’s compliance has drawn sharp criticism from some faculty and student groups who see the reforms as a concession of academic freedom and independence. In contrast, Harvard University, facing similar federal funding cuts, has taken legal action against the administration, setting up a high-profile courtroom battle between the government and the nation’s wealthiest academic institution.
With over $8 billion in federal grants under review across more than 600 US institutions, the Trump administration appears to be using Columbia’s agreement as a model. “Numerous other Higher Education Institutions that have hurt so many, are upcoming,” Trump warned.
The Columbia settlement codifies a shift in how US universities navigate federal pressure amid intensifying political scrutiny, especially surrounding issues of free speech, identity, and international conflict.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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