The Wall Street Journal reports that Columbia University and the Trump administration are in advanced talks to restore federal funding, previously cut due to alleged antisemitism. Columbia seeks to regain funding while maintaining autonomy.
Columbia University in Talks with Trump Administration Over Reinstating Federal Funding
Columbia University’s board of trustees is in negotiations with the Trump administration to restore a portion of the $400 million in federal grants and contracts cut in March, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
The funding was withdrawn after the administration cited Columbia’s failure to protect Jewish students amid rising antisemitic harassment during pro-Palestinian protests. A government investigation in May concluded the university had violated students’ civil rights, issuing a formal notice of violation.
Initial talks centered on a consent decree that would place Columbia under federal court oversight. However, current discussions reportedly favor a less stringent arrangement—possibly involving an independent monitor.
Columbia had previously agreed to measures such as restricting face coverings and expanding campus police powers, but these steps did not lead to the immediate restoration of funds.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in May that the university was “on the right track” but gave no timeline for reinstating funding. In a June 12 statement, Acting President Claire Shipman reaffirmed Columbia’s commitment to restoring research ties with the government while defending the university’s autonomy:
“We decide who teaches, what they teach, and who we admit.”
Some members of Columbia’s Jewish community have voiced concern that the new deal may lack the accountability of a consent decree.
Columbia Deal Talks Continue Amid Criticism from Jewish Alumni Leader
As negotiations between Columbia University and the Trump administration continue over reinstating $400 million in federal funding, Ari Shrage, co-founder of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, expressed concern over the direction of the talks.
Shrage called for reforms to the university’s student disciplinary system and greater ideological diversity among faculty. Reacting to reports of a softened agreement, he said, “I’m shocked that Trump’s advisers would be willing to capitulate and make the president look so weak.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, the terms of the agreement are still being finalized, and the deal remains subject to collapse.
