Columbia University to Pay $221 Million in Settlement Deal with Trump Administration

Columbia University will pay $221 million to settle federal investigations into antisemitism and regain funding. The deal includes policy reforms following campus protests and pressure from the Trump administration.

Columbia University has reached a $221 million (€188 million) settlement with the federal government to resolve investigations into its campus activities and restore federal funding, the university announced on Wednesday.

The settlement includes a $200 million payment over three years to resolve investigations into alleged antisemitism and a $21 million payout to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

"Importantly, the agreement preserves Columbia’s autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions, and academic decision-making," the university stated.

As a result of the deal, the "vast majority" of federal grants that were terminated or suspended in March will be reinstated.

Acting University President Claire Shipman described the settlement as "an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty."

The announcement follows the university’s recent disciplinary actions against dozens of students for their involvement in pro-Palestinian protests on campus in May 2025 and in the spring of 2024. These sanctions include suspensions, probations, expulsions, and even the revocation of degrees.

Columbia became the epicenter of nationwide campus protests last year in response to the war in Gaza.

The university has faced intense pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration, which accused Columbia and other prestigious institutions of failing to properly address allegations of antisemitism.

After the administration pulled $400 million in federal grant funding, Columbia agreed to implement a series of controversial policy reforms. Trump had claimed that pro-Palestinian activists on campus harassed Jewish and Israeli students—an allegation denied by the protesting students, some of whom were themselves Jewish.

Among the required reforms are an overhaul of the student disciplinary process, a redefinition of antisemitism, the appointment of new Jewish faculty members, a review of the university’s Middle East curriculum, and the termination of programs focused on diversity, equality, and inclusion.