Authored by Aaron Gifford via The Epoch Times,

Under the agreement reached between President Donald Trump and Columbia University regarding campus anti-Semitism, the Ivy League school will pay a $200 million fine to regain its eligibility for future federal money.

The July 23 settlement follows months of discussions between the two sides after Trump froze $400 million in federal grants to the school and accused its leaders of failing to address the harassment of Jewish students and campus disruptions.

Now, the Trump administration is hoping this deal establishes a model for other colleges and universities to follow.

Opponents in academia, meanwhile, championed Harvard University—the nation’s oldest—for its fight against the federal government.

Here are five takeaways from the settlement:

How It Came to This

Regular campus disruptions ensued after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, including pro-Palestinian protests and encampments that lasted for months, clashes with police, and the illegal occupation and vandalism of the campus building Hamilton Hall. The university canceled its main commencement ceremony last year due to safety concerns brought on by protesters.

Dozens of students were suspended, and nine were expelled. Columbia President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik resigned in August 2024 amid criticism of how she responded to campus protests. The alleged student ringleader, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and given deportation orders.

The Trump administration initially issued Columbia a ultimatum threatening to hold $5 billion in federal funding, but only froze $400 million as Education Secretary Linda McMahon and university administrators discussed corrective measures.

Shafik’s replacement, interim President Katrina Armstrong, stepped down on March 28, after McMahon announced that Columbia would comply with her demands.

In June, McMahon informed Columbia officials that because of Civil Rights violations, the school failed to meet federal accreditation standards, threatening the university’s reputation as an Ivy League institution and eligibility for student loans.

Discussions between interim Columbia President Claire Shipman and federal officials ensued. The agreement was reached weeks later.

Other Terms of the Agreement

Columbia will pay $20 million to Jewish employees harassed by co-workers or students at the university. Additionally, the settlement requires that hiring practices be based on merit and not race or gender, in accordance with Civil Rights laws.

The university will allow the federal government to review its Middle Eastern studies major and other programs and must hire faculty members who are committed to “intellectual diversity,” according to the White House’s July 24 fact sheet on the settlement.

University admissions officers will more carefully scrutinize applications from international students, share data on foreign students with the federal government, and reduce financial dependence “on overwhelming international student enrollment,” the fact sheet said.

Masked protests on campus will be prohibited, and Columbia will work closely with the New York Police Department if additional enforcement measures are needed. Student disciplinary measures will be handled by the university’s provost’s office instead of a faculty senate panel, according to the fact sheet.

“Columbia’s reforms are a roadmap for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public by renewing their commitment to truth-seeking, merit, and civil debate,” McMahon said in a July 23 statement.

How Other Ivy League Schools Fared

A White House official confirmed in April that the administration had frozen $1 billion in federal funding to Cornell University following an investigation into Civil Rights violations on that campus.

In March, the administration froze an undisclosed amount of federal funds at Princeton University following an investigation of anti-Semitism there, according to a campus-wide email from President Christopher Eisgruber published by the student newspaper.

A week later, the federal Commerce Department cut $4 million of funding for Princeton University’s climate program, stating that it “fosters fears rather than rational, balanced discussion” and “promotes exaggerated and implausible climate threats,” which doesn’t align with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s objectives, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced.

The University of Pennsylvania announced earlier this month that it has complied with the administration’s demands following a Title IX investigation dating back to 2022, when a male identifying as transgender won an NCAA women’s swimming championship.

The athlete, Lia Thomas, was stripped of medals and records gained in women’s events, and the university was required to send a written apology to every swimmer who competed against Thomas. The school is to prohibit males from competing in female athletic programs or occupying women’s bathrooms or locker rooms.

Harvard was cited for anti-Semitism and continuing DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) practices, which the administration said are discriminatory and illegal.

The administration froze billions in federal funding, prompting a lawsuit from Harvard, which called the move unconstitutional and a violation of free speech. Proceedings in that federal court case are underway.

Trump also threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status and moved to end the university’s visa program for foreign students, resulting in an additional lawsuit. A federal judge blocked that executive action.

On June 20 and again on July 25, Trump indicated that Harvard is interested in a resolution but provided no details on a settlement.

What Critics Are Saying

The American Association of University Professors union, which represents about 45,000 higher education professionals across the country, said Columbia’s decision sets “an extremely dangerous precedent that will have tremendous consequences for the sector.”

“For higher education to function, students and faculty must be free to think and speak their minds,” Todd Wolfson, association president, said in an email response to The Epoch Times. “Students, faculty, and all who care about higher education must stand up and fight back against this unprecedented continuing assault. We have no choice.”

In her July 23 statement, Columbia’s Shipman maintained that the agreement was carefully crafted to safeguard its independence while also protecting “the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track.”

The Fight Presses On

Columbia’s settlement acknowledges that campus reforms will protect Jewish students and faculty, but it “does not admit to wrongdoing,” according to the university’s July 23 statement.

After these sanctions, the resignation of college presidents, and nine congressional hearings in less than two years, Republican leaders remain skeptical that U.S. higher education is serious about implementing permanent measures to combat anti-Semitism.

During the July 15 House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing, University of California–Berkeley Chancellor Richard Lyons said his school’s Palestinian Arab studies program chair, who was cited for apparantly praising the Hamas terrorist attack on social media, is “a fine scholar.”

City University of New York Chancellor Felix Rodriguez acknowledged that a current CUNY employee who had previously served as the organization’s chief diversity officer had worked for an organization with ties to Hamas.

Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-N.Y.) response: “This individual is not going to be fired because it’s all words, no action. You have failed the people of New York. You have failed Jewish students in New York State, and it is a disgrace.”

Harvard, meanwhile, has not expressed any interest in a settlement like Columbia’s.

John Shu, a constitutional law expert who served in both Bush administrations, said while Trump’s critics in this matter cling to the argument that the administration violated Harvard’s right to free speech, the president is following civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination by race, gender, or religion.

Regardless of how this case ends, the federal government can deny future grants, Shu told The Epoch Times. In addition, it can restrict admission to foreign students, on whom Harvard relies to pay full tuition and fees.

“Even if Harvard wins the instant case,” Shu said, “that doesn’t end its problems.”