White House aims to impose penalties in possible agreements with Harvard and other institutions, following Columbia as a example.
The White House is actively pursuing financial settlements with universities, including Harvard, to resolve investigations into campus antisemitism. This approach is based on the template set by the $221 million settlement reached between the Trump administration and Columbia University in July 2025.
The Columbia settlement, announced by the Trump administration, served as a probable template for similar cases. The university agreed to pay over $200 million over three years, with an additional $21 million related to alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Key elements of the Columbia settlement include financial payments, reforms covering diversity and admissions, support and oversight, and broader policy mandates. The university must end programs promoting race-based outcomes or diversity targets that could be considered unlawful. It must also prohibit the use of race or diversity narratives in admissions personal statements and submit regular reports to an independent monitor confirming compliance.
The settlement also requires Columbia to provide detailed admissions data broken down by race, GPA, and test scores. It includes policies limiting transgender women from participating in female sports, reflecting wider nationwide education policy goals. The agreement also creates a new administrator position dedicated to serving as a liaison for antisemitism issues and requires policies that foster a safe, non-discriminatory campus environment and uphold civil discourse, free inquiry, and equality.
The agreement with Columbia orders the university to ensure its admissions and hiring decisions are "merit-based" with no consideration of race. It also includes a clause forbidding the government from directly dictating decisions on hiring, admissions, or academics. Columbia leaders said the agreement preserves the university's autonomy while restoring the flow of federal money.
President Trump stated that he wants to "spread the wealth" in terms of federal funding for universities. He expressed optimism that his administration will not provide any more money to Harvard, which has had $790 million in federal funding frozen, along with Cornell University. President Trump suggested that his administration will prevail in Harvard's legal challenge - at least on appeal.
The Trump administration is investigating several universities over allegations of failing to address campus antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war. The settlement exemplifies the administration's broader goal of eliminating what it views as unlawful race-conscious policies in admissions and campus programs while addressing safety issues tied to antisemitism.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the Columbia settlement as a "roadmap" for colleges to regain public trust. The agreement places Columbia under the watch of an independent monitor and requires regular disclosures to the government. President Trump stated that Harvard "wants to settle" but that Columbia "handled it better."
It is worth noting that the Biden administration reached dozens of settlements with universities, but none included fines. The Columbia settlement, therefore, marks a shift in the administration's approach to resolving these investigations. As of July 29, 2025, no publicly confirmed settlements with other universities beyond Columbia have been detailed, but the administration’s statements indicate this is a continuing priority.
- The Columbia settlement, a template set by the Trump administration, could serve as a guide for other universities under investigation for campus antisemitism.
- The White House's approach to financial settlements with universities over antisemitism investigations involves reforms in diversity, admissions, and policy mandates, as seen in the Columbia case.
- In addition to financial payments, the agreement with Columbia includes provisions for the university to provide detailed admissions data, limit transgender women in female sports, and create a new administrator position for antisemitism issues.
- The Biden administration previously reached settlements with universities without fines, but the Columbia settlement marks a shift towards more stringent measures, including fines and independent monitoring.
