After months of back and forth, Columbia University has given in to President Donald Trump’s demands. Columbia University announced Wednesday it has reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal government to restore federal research money that was canceled in the name of combating antisemitism on campus.
“This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty,” acting University President Claire Shipman said.
In early 2025, Columbia University became the first to get caught in the Trump administration’s crosshairs as part of its aggressive crackdown on campus antisemitism, resulting in the suspension of over $400 million in federal funding. The administration alleged that Columbia failed to control antisemitic incidents during pro-Palestinian protests amid the Israel-Gaza war, prompting the abrupt cancellation of key research grants, including nearly $250 million from the NIH.
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This led to mass layoffs of over 180 researchers and paused work on critical public health projects. Facing financial and reputational damage, Columbia conceded to a sweeping set of policy changes—tightening protest regulations, expanding campus security, revising its DEI programs, adopting a federal definition of antisemitism (including anti-Zionism), and restructuring academic oversight.
AP News reports that under the agreement, the Ivy League school will pay a $200 million settlement over three years, the university said. It will also pay $21 million to resolve alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees that occurred following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, the White House said.
In a post Wednesday night on his Truth Social platform, President Donald Trump said Columbia had “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 called the deal “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 roadmap for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public by renewing their commitment to truth-seeking, merit, and civil debate,” McMahon said in a statement.
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According to AP News, also in the settlement is an agreement to ask prospective international students “questions designed to elicit their reasons for wishing to study in the United States,” and establishes processes to make sure all students are committed to “civil discourse.”
Columbia on Tuesday announced it would suspend, expel or revoke degrees from more than 70 students who participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration inside the main library in May and an encampment during alumni weekend last year.
The settlement marks a significant moment for Columbia University, showing how external political and financial pressures can reshape university policies. By accepting federal demands in exchange for restored research funding, Columbia faces a new reality of increased oversight and reduced autonomy. This could lead to lasting changes in how the university approaches free speech, campus activism, and academic programming.