On March 7, the Trump administration announced that it had cancelled $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University over what it says is the university’s failure to address antisemitism on its campus.
The cancellation was announced in a joint statement from the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education and the U.S General Services Administration.
The statement says that the decision to halt the funding was “due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
“These cancellations represent the first round of action and additional cancellations are expected to follow. The Task Force is continuing to review and coordinate across federal agencies to identify additional cancellations that could be made swiftly,” the statement reads, indicating more cuts to funding may be on the horizon.
“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses – only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.”
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The statement says that these cuts in funding “serves as a notice to every school and university that receives federal dollars” and that the Trump administration will use all tools at its disposal to protect Jewish students and “end anti-Semitism on college campuses.”
Government funding is a ‘privilege’
“Doing business with the Federal Government is a privilege,” Josh Gruenbaum, FAS Commissioner and Task Force member said according to the statement. “Columbia University, through their continued and shameful inaction to stop radical protestors from taking over buildings on campus and lack of response to the safety issues for Jewish students, and for that matter — all students — are not upholding the ideals of this Administration or the American people. Columbia cannot expect to retain the privilege of receiving federal taxpayer dollars if they will not fulfill their civil rights responsibilities to protect Jewish students from harassment and anti-Semitism.”
It is still unclear what programs may be impacted by the cuts. For the 2024 fiscal year, Columbia University’s total budget was approximately $6.3 billion, with the largest portion of these expenses being allocated to instruction and educational administration, encompassing the costs associated with delivering courses and programs, as well as student services such as career advising, according to Columbia University’s website.
In addition to its operating budget, Columbia’s endowment stood at $14.8 billion as of 2024. The endowment supports various university initiatives, including research, financial aid, and faculty positions.
The university has until this Thursday, March 20, to appeal the funding cut and meet demands made by the Trump administration.
The demands include banning masks that conceal identities during campus events, empowering campus cops and putting the school’s department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies under ‘academic receivership,’ which means it would no longer be controlled by the faculty.
Additionally, the administration has demanded that Columbia define antisemitism within its policies, reform international recruiting practices, and take further actions to prevent antisemitic harassment. Failure to implement these changes is cited as the reason for the suspension of federal funds, according to Reuters.
Columbia may acquiesce
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the university may be taking steps to meet the Trump administration’s demands and secure their federal funding.
Douglas Belkin and Liz Essley Whyte, both of the Wall Street Journal, wrote “Columbia’s acquiescence would represent a significant moment in the growing battle between Trump and elite universities. Trump campaigned on reining in what he sees as leftist ideologues on college campuses, and moved aggressively to investigate allegations of campus antisemitism since taking office. Some faculty members, however, view the moves as federal overreach that violate cherished notions of academic freedom.”
The report indicates that Columbia’s board is still discussing the impacts of capitulating to Trump and that major developments could occur before Thursday.
An official with the university told the WSJ that the school’s leadership were not ready to discuss what negotiations have occurred, however claimed that “any decisions the school makes would uphold both Columbia’s values and legal obligations.”
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