WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump administration announced it would cancel approximately $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University, citing the school’s “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students,” according to NBC News this past week.
The decision follows a review by the administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, said NBC, noting Education Secretary Linda McMahon said, “Columbia has not complied with federal antidiscrimination laws…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.”
NBC said Columbia University promptly responded, emphasizing its commitment to combating antisemitism and maintaining federal funding.
“We take Columbia’s legal obligations seriously and understand how serious this announcement is,” a university spokesperson told NBC News. The spokesperson added Columbia would work with the administration to restore the lost grants.
NBC said the decision came after Columbia and other universities “became the site of large pro-Palestinian protests following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war.”
Head of the Justice Department Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, Leo Terrell, stated cutting federal funds “is one of the tools we are using to respond to this spike in anti-Semitism,” warning, “This is only the beginning.”
Brian Cohen, the executive director of The Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life at Columbia and Barnard, according to NBC, offered advice.
“I hope this federal action is a wake-up call to Columbia’s administration and trustees to take antisemitism and the harassment of Jewish students and faculty seriously so that these grants can be restored, the vital work of the University can continue, and that Columbia can become, once again, a place where the Jewish community thrives,” Cohen said.
According to NBC, “Republicans have long-criticized universities and colleges for allowing pro-Palestinian protests to foment in response to the war in Gaza,” noting Trump called protestors “pro-Hamas radicals” and “called for them to be deported.”
NBC also noted the Biden administration “criticized several university presidents after they sidestepped questions from House Republicans during a hearing about antisemitism on college campuses.”
The congressional hearing led to calls for multiple university presidents to resign, and ultimately, both Harvard’s Claudine Gay and Penn’s Elizabeth Magill stepped down, added NBC.
Why are we giving Columbia University $400 million in the first place when they have $15 billion in endowments?
We are $37 trillion in debt as a country. It’s time to tighten our belts.
I think that’s represents largely a misunderstanding of how this works…
The $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia was not a lump sum gift, but rather funding tied to research, student aid, and specific programs. These funds typically support:
• Scientific and medical research (e.g., NIH and NSF grants for cutting-edge studies).
• Student financial aid (Pell Grants, work-study programs, and research fellowships).
• Public service initiatives (such as medical training programs that benefit underserved communities).
While Columbia has a massive endowment, those funds are not a blank check that the university can freely spend. Endowments are heavily restricted, with most money tied to donor-specified uses