Brown University bends the knee to Trump, forks over millions

Brown University will pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce development groups and implement a series of policy changes under a settlement with the Trump administration, according to a recent announcement by university officials. Knewz.com has learned that the agreement restores suspended federal research funding, closes three federal investigations and commits Brown to adopting specific definitions of gender and race-neutral admissions policies.

The latest Trump admin deal

Brown University President Christina H. Paxson said the deal preserves the university’s academic independence while resolving disputes with the federal government, as the terms include a clause saying the government cannot dictate curriculum or the content of academic speech at Brown. “The University’s foremost priority throughout discussions with the government was remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown,” Paxson wrote. It has been reported that under the three-year agreement, dozens of suspended federal grants and contracts will be reinstated. The federal government will reimburse Brown for $50 million in unpaid research grant costs. The deal ends three investigations into allegations of antisemitism and racial bias in Brown’s admissions process. The Department of Education did not make any finding of legal wrongdoing. In a campus-wide letter, Paxson addressed the decision to settle despite the absence of legal violations, citing “financial pressure from federal agencies” and concerns about “a growing push for government intrusion” in academic matters.

Brown bends the knee

Brown agreed to adopt the federal government’s definitions of “male” and “female” and to remove any use of race in admissions decisions. While a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling already bars affirmative action in college admissions, the settlement goes further by prohibiting the use of any “proxy for racial admission” such as diversity essays or personal statements that reveal racial identity. Furthermore, the university must disclose detailed applicant data — including race, grades and test scores — for federal review and submit to a “comprehensive audit” of admissions practices. The agreement also requires Brown to renew partnerships with Israeli academic institutions, encourage Jewish day school students to apply and hire an outside group by the end of the year to conduct a campus climate survey for Jewish students. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the settlement a victory for merit-based admissions, stating it ensures students will be evaluated “solely on their merits, not their race or [gender[.” McMahon said in a statement, “The Trump Administration is successfully reversing the decades-long woke-capture of our nation’s higher education institutions.”

‘A step forward’ from paying a fine to the government

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, an organization of major universities, commented that the settlement between the Trump administration and Brown University is “a step forward” from paying a fine to the government, as Columbia agreed to do. However, Mitchell added that it remains unclear whether Brown and other universities are free of governmental pressure. “Let’s remember, these are deals. These are not policies. … I had hoped that the Trump administration, when it came in, was going to be interested in having serious policy discussions about the future of higher education. They’ve yet to do that,” Mitchell said.

Other settlements with the Trump admin

The Brown agreement follows a similar deal between the Trump administration and Columbia University, which federal officials described as a “roadmap” for other schools. Columbia agreed to pay $200 million directly to the federal government and to accept oversight by an external monitor, a provision not included in Brown’s settlement. The University of Pennsylvania reached a separate agreement with the administration earlier this year to amend records involving transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. That settlement did not include a financial payment. It has been reported that Harvard University and the Trump administration are nearing a settlement that could end a months-long standoff over federal research funding. According to people familiar with the matter, the proposed agreement would commit Harvard to invest $500 million in vocational programs, education and research in exchange for the restoration of billions in federal grants and the termination of ongoing federal investigations.

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