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Trump hails ‘historic agreement’ as Columbia prepares to pay $221 million to regain federal funding
“Numerous other higher education institutions that have hurt so many, and been so unfair and unjust, and have wrongly spent federal money... are upcoming,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
Columbia’s deal with the Trump administration comes after the Education and Justice Departments froze or cancelled more than $400 million in federal grants in March 2025. (AP Photo)
US President Donald Trump has hailed a new deal with Columbia University as a “historic agreement”, after the Ivy League school agreed to pay $221 million to the US government to restore access to federal research funding and resolve civil rights allegations. In a detailed statement on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement includes the rollback of Columbia’s DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) policies, compensation for Jewish employees, and sweeping changes to campus governance and student admissions.
“Columbia has agreed to pay a penalty of $200 million to the United States Government for violating federal law, in addition to over $20 million to their Jewish employees who were unlawfully targeted and harassed,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Columbia’s deal with the Trump administration comes after the Education and Justice Departments froze or cancelled more than $400 million in federal grants in March 2025. With this agreement, the university will regain access to the “vast majority” of that funding.
What the university will pay
- $200 million over three years in civil penalties
- $21 million to resolve civil rights claims from Jewish faculty and staff
In his Truth Social statement, Trump also warned that further action is forthcoming:
“Numerous other higher education institutions that have hurt so many, and been so unfair and unjust, and have wrongly spent federal money… are upcoming.”
He credited Secretary Linda McMahon and Columbia’s leadership, writing: “I want to thank and congratulate Secretary Linda McMahon, and all those who worked with us on this important deal. I also want to thank and commend Columbia University for agreeing to do what is right.”
Antisemitism, DEI, discipline
Under the agreement, Columbia has pledged major institutional changes, including:
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- Adopting a federal definition of antisemitism that includes anti‑Zionism
- Dismantling DEI programs that conflict with federal law
- Restructuring hiring, disciplinary procedures, and Middle Eastern studies curricula
- Creating oversight roles to ensure compliance
- Requiring visa-holding students to disclose protest activity and motives for studying in the US
- Disciplinary records for international students must be shared with federal authorities upon request
However, Columbia has not admitted wrongdoing. Acting President Claire Shipman said: “This is an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty.”
More than 70 students were disciplined following a May 2025 pro‑Palestinian protest involving a library occupation.
US Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the Columbia agreement as “a seismic shift”.
Federal scrutiny under the Trump administration has affected Harvard, Brown, Princeton, Cornell, and Northwestern, with over $2 billion in grant funding frozen or reviewed. Deportation proceedings have also been initiated against international students involved in anti‑Israel protests.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
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