The Trump administration has suggested a $1 billion settlement with UCLA as part of a dispute over federal funding.
Leaders at the University of California (UC) say the payment would cause serious damage to the entire UC system.
UC President James B. Milliken said Friday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent the proposed settlement to the school, and officials are now reviewing it.
The proposal comes after the administration froze $584 million in federal grants for UCLA last week — almost double what the school originally thought would be cut.
Milliken said the $1 billion payment is impossible for the public university system to afford.
“As a public university, we manage taxpayer resources carefully,” he said. “A payment of this size would devastate our university system, our students, and the people of California.”
The funding freeze followed a DOJ investigation. Federal officials said UCLA violated civil rights laws by ignoring harassment and abuse complaints from Jewish and Israeli students after the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement, “This disgusting breach of civil rights against students will not stand. DOJ will force UCLA to pay a heavy price for putting Jewish Americans at risk, and we will continue to investigate other UC campuses.”
Earlier this week, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk said the university hopes to restore the frozen funds, warning that the loss will hurt researchers and the public.
“The suspension of these funds is not only a loss for our researchers,” Frenk said, “but also for people across the country who depend on our groundbreaking work in science and health.”
