The settlement with the federal government spotlights an issue other colleges could face.

Now that Columbia University has finally reached an agreement with the Trump administration resolving several allegations that it violated federal anti-discrimination laws, attention is turning to what the deal could mean for higher education in general.

As part of the deal struck this week, Columbia will pay $200 million over three years to the federal government. In addition, it agreed to dole out another $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In exchange, the university said “a vast majority of the federal grants which were terminated or paused in March 2025 will be reinstated, and Columbia’s access to billions of dollars in current and future grants will be restored.”

Columbia leaders insisted that “the agreement preserves Columbia’s autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions, and academic decision-making” and that much of it codified several reforms Columbia had already announced last March, including "enhancements to campus safety, changes to disciplinary processes, and renewed efforts to foster an inclusive and respectful learning environment.”

However, the resolution also requires Columbia to end its diversity........

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