Columbia University agrees to pay more than $220 million in deal with Trump to restore federal funding
Columbia University has agreed to pay more than $220 million to the Trump administration as part of a settlement to restore federal research funding that had been previously canceled. The deal includes a $200 million payment to the federal government over three years and an additional $21 million to resolve investigations by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission related to alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees.
This settlement addresses the Trump administration’s concerns about Columbia’s inadequate response to antisemitism on campus during the Israel-Hamas conflict beginning in October 2023. The administration had frozen or canceled over $400 million in federal grants to Columbia due to these concerns.
As part of the agreement, Columbia University has agreed to various conditions, including revising its student disciplinary procedures and adopting a federally endorsed definition of antisemitism. The university’s acting president, Claire Shipman, stated that the deal protects the institution’s independence while allowing federal research funding to be reinstated. There is no admission of wrongdoing by Columbia as part of the settlement.
The reinstatement of federal grants enables Columbia’s scientists to access previously frozen funds and allows the school to regain eligibility for future federal research grants. This deal is seen as an important step after months of federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty for Columbia.
