Columbia University to pay $200M settlement, regain access to federal grants

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Columbia University said Wednesday that it will pay $200 million over the next three years under a settlement with the Trump administration to resolve claims that it discriminated against Jewish students.

The settlement, which also includes $21 million to end probes by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, follows months of tensions over allegations that the university failed to address antisemitic incidents on campus.

“While Columbia does not admit to wrongdoing with this resolution agreement, the institution’s leaders have recognized, repeatedly, that Jewish students and faculty have experienced painful, unacceptable incidents, and that reform was and is needed,” the university said in a statement.

As part of the agreement, Columbia will submit to federal monitoring of its admissions and hiring processes and provide information about certain foreign students to immigration officials.

The university said the settlement would lead to the reinstatement of most of the $400 million in grants and contracts that were terminated or paused in March, restoring its access to billions in current and future federal funding.

The Trump administration had accused Columbia of “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students” and suspended grants, including those from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services.

In a bid to end the standoff, Columbia previously accepted nine administration demands, including a ban on mask-wearing at protests and stricter oversight of its Middle East studies program.

Wednesday’s agreement “builds on Columbia’s broader commitment to combating antisemitism,” the university said.

Earlier this week, Columbia announced disciplinary measures against more than 70 students involved in two pro-Palestinian protests, including a takeover of Butler Library in May. The demonstrations were part of broader unrest on campus last spring amid the Israel-Hamas war.

In late April, protesters barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall, leading to arrests and punishments such as suspension, expulsion or the temporary revocation of degrees.