Columbia University Agrees To Settle With Trump Administration

Columbia University has come to a settlement with the Trump Administration in order to get their federal funding back.

In short, their shenanigans and anti-Semitism will cost Columbia $200 million in fines, plus an additional $21 million to be paid to Jewish faculty and employees who have discrimination claims.

In exchange for the return of hundreds of millions in research grants, Columbia will also pledge to follow laws banning the consideration of race in admissions and hiring, and follow through on other commitments to reduce antisemitism and unrest on campus that it agreed to in March.

The deal, which settles more than a half-dozen open civil rights investigations into the university, will be overseen by an independent monitor agreed to by both sides who will report to the government on its progress every six months. Columbia will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The agreement will restore the vast majority of the more than $400 million in grants terminated or frozen by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services in March. Columbia can also compete on equal footing for new grants. The university will pay the $200 million in three installments over three years.

Columbia receives about $1.3 billion in federal research grants annually, and the university said it would have all been at risk if it had remained on the White House’s blacklist.

Because money is fungible, the fine looks a lot bigger on paper than it is in real life. Remember, the university said it got $1.3 billion every year, so instead of $3.9 billion in three years, they will only get $3.7 billion. But now that federal funding is assured, Columbia will pay to settle the employees’ cases, and acting president Claire Shipman gets to pretend that the day is saved.

Acting University President Claire Shipman said, “This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty. The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track. Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest.”

Except there is more to it than just the fines and payouts. Columbia has agreed to the terms that the Trump administration set out back in March, which is sure to upset their resident Hamas LARPers.

The Ivy League school has also agreed to end all programming that discriminated against faculty or students — bringing it into full compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision banning race-based affirmative action — and create some yet-to-be-announced faculty positions in the name of broadening intellectual diversity.

The settlement further calls for Columbia to maintain a trained security force blocking demonstrations in academic spaces and coordinate with the NYPD to prevent a repeat of the takeover of Hamilton Hall by anti-Israel rioters in the spring of 2024 — while the university will impose a complete ban on masked protests. Facial coverings will still be allowed for medical or religious reasons.

Disciplinary rules will no longer be governed by the faculty senate but, rather, by the Office of the Provost. On Tuesday, Columbia announced that dozens of students were going to be suspended or penalized — and a handful expelled — for a recent disruptive library demonstration and anti-Israel tent encampment that engulfed the campus last year.

The university’s admissions office will step up vetting for foreign applicants, quiz potential students about their reasons for wanting to study in the US and share that data with the feds, while Columbia’s reliance on international enrollment will be cut back.

As part of its participation in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Program, the school will now be expected to report any disciplinary actions for those holding visas — including suspensions, expulsions or arrests.

Experts are also supposed to consult with administrators to prevent the threat of terrorist financing or other illicit funds flowing to the school.

Additionally, the Morningside Heights school will comply with Title IX and no longer force women to compete with biological men in sports or use their locker rooms, housing or other facilities.

The university is actually going to have to strive for some balance in their academic instruction – and may actually have to hire – gasp! – people who don’t think like them! And an actual trained security force? No masks at protests? Cutting back on international students and their tuition? These are actually good – and necessary – things.

I have to admit I had serious doubts that a deal with Columbia would not be superficial given the extent to which the school has been corrupted, but the outlined terms are substantive and significant.

It requires Columbia to enforce their rules fairly, comply with laws related… https://t.co/6L2C01dmHf

— AG (@AGHamilton29) July 24, 2025

For his part, President Trump is taking the win, and proudly announcing the news on Truth Social.

Donald J. Trump Truth Social 07.23.25 10:25 PM EST pic.twitter.com/ruRFlFpy3x

— Fan Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 24, 2025

This news comes just after Columbia announced actual suspensions and expulsions for students who participated in the last two major protests.

The university confirmed in a statement Tuesday that it was punishing students who participated in the protest at the school’s Butler Library, where at least 80 people were detained, as well as a similar demonstration during its annual alumni weekend last year.

Columbia said it would not release the “individual disciplinary results of any student” but said that “sanctions from Butler Library include probation, suspensions (ranging from one year to three years), degree revocations, and expulsions.”

The source familiar with the matter told NBC News in a phone call that most of the disciplinary action resulted in suspensions or expulsions. Of those suspended, two-thirds received a two-year suspension.

Over 70 students related to the protests over alumni were either suspended or expelled. Around 80% of the more than 70 disciplined received suspensions or expulsions. And most of the suspensions are for at least two years.”

I’m sure that after the news of their fellow terrorist admirers getting suspended or expelled, the Columbia groups are totally handling the news of the university’s settlement like mature adults.

Oh. Well, then. What do you expect from the same people that keep defending Mahmoud Khalil, who refused to outright condemn Hamas while being interviewed on CNN? Of course they are livid – this is probably the first time in some of their lives that they have ever been told “no,” or learned that actions have consequences. Now we get to learn if any of these so-called “best and brightest” have the brains to actually suck it up and stop behaving like spoiled brats who cosplay as terrorist wannabes. My money is on no, and we will have to see if Columbia is going to live up to their end of the settlement deal.

Featured image: original Victory Girls art by Darleen Click

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