Columbia University to Pay $221M in Trump-Era Settlement to Regain Federal Funding
Columbia University has agreed to pay over $200 million to the U.S. government as part of a settlement deal with the Trump administration. The goal of the move is to terminate federal investigations and get back much of the federal cash that the institution had lost.
Background: Federal Grants Suspended Over Campus Protests
In 2025, President Trump’s government put a stop to $400 million in federal grants to Columbia. The action came after rallies in favor of Palestine broke out on college campuses around the U.S., including Columbia’s. The management said that the university had not done enough to deal with antisemitic occurrences and intimidation of Jewish and Israeli students.
Trump welcomed the agreement on social media, praising it as a step toward restoring order on college campuses.
Settlement Details: Grants Restored, $21M to EEOC
Columbia declared in a public announcement that most of the cash that had been put on hold will be restored. The university will also be able to get billions of dollars in federal research and education funds in the future. Columbia also agreed to pay $21 million to settle probes by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Controversial Terms and Concessions
To secure the settlement, Columbia accepted a series of far-reaching terms. These include:
- Disciplining students involved in severe campus disruptions
- Restructuring its Faculty Senate
- Eliminating racial preferences in hiring and admissions
- Ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs
The university also pledged to add more “viewpoint diversity” to its Middle Eastern studies curriculum.
New Antisemitism Definition and Campus Group Ban
Columbia has chosen a definition of antisemitism that not everyone agrees with. This new rule says that being anti-Zionist is the same as being anti-Semitic. The institution also said it will no longer work with the Columbia institution Apartheid Divest, a group of pro-Palestinian students.
Columbia University Backlash and Free Speech Concern
Student activists and academic groups have spoken out against the pact. They say it hurts free speech and academic freedom. One group of protesters called the $221 million settlement a “bribe” aimed to keep people from speaking out and keep Americans supporting Israel.
Civil rights groups claim the government’s approach unfairly targets pro-Palestinian speakers and calls them antisemitic.
Columbia has to look over its method for admitting overseas students as part of the settlement. It also needs to hire two new managers: one to keep an eye on antisemitism and the other to make sure the agreement is being followed.
Rights activists say, though, that the Trump administration hasn’t done anything real to stop Islamophobia or anti-Arab prejudice, which have gotten worse during the Israel-Gaza war.
