Columbia University has agreed to pay a $200 million fine to the Trump administration to resolve allegations that it failed to adequately protect Jewish students amid ongoing campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In exchange for the settlement, Columbia will retain access to hundreds of millions in federal research grants. The university also formally committed to President Donald Trump’s directives, including a ban on race-based considerations in admissions and hiring, and implementation of anti-antisemitism reforms first outlined in March.
“While Columbia does not admit to any wrongdoing, university leaders have acknowledged that Jewish students and faculty have endured deeply troubling incidents,” the university said in a statement Wednesday. “They recognize that change was and remains necessary.”
As part of the agreement, Columbia will come under the oversight of an independent monitor — jointly selected by the university and the federal government — who will report on progress every six months. Additionally, Columbia will pay $21 million to settle Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claims related to antisemitism and discrimination. The $200 million fine will be paid in three installments over three years.
“This agreement represents a crucial turning point following months of federal scrutiny,” said Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman. “It was carefully negotiated to uphold our core values while enabling our vital research collaboration with the government to continue.”
Columbia is the first university to finalize a settlement with the Trump administration over accusations of antisemitism on campus. Harvard University, by contrast, has filed a lawsuit against the administration, arguing that funding cuts were retaliatory and unconstitutional. Both Ivy League institutions were among 10 universities identified by the Trump administration’s Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism as experiencing a spike in antisemitic incidents after October 7, 2023.
Other universities under investigation include: Harvard; George Washington University; Johns Hopkins; NYU; Northwestern; UCLA; UC Berkeley; University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California. Brown, Cornell, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania have also since been added to the list.
The Trump administration first announced it was canceling $400 million in grants to Columbia on March 7. Funding cuts later extended to other elite institutions, including Harvard, Cornell, and Northwestern. In May, Columbia revealed it was eliminating nearly 180 staff positions as a direct result of the loss in federal funds.
Despite the new oversight, the settlement ensures Columbia retains control over its academic decisions — including hiring, admissions, and academic content — and will remain self-governed in matters of curriculum and speech.
