The Trump administration has canceled or is preparing to cancel nearly $400 million in federal grants and contracts intended for Columbia University. “Universities must comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws if they want to receive federal funding,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement today.

The Ivy League school has come under scrutiny from the Trump administration for its alleged failure to protect its Jewish students during pro-Gaza protests. The grants in question come from the Department of Health and Human Services, the General Services Administration and the Department of Education.

“Columbia has abandoned its obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus,” McMahon said. A spokesperson for the university, which was the focus of heated protests on behalf of the Gaza Strip this spring, said the university was reviewing the cancelled grants and added that Columbia was “working with the federal government to restore them.” The spokesperson said Columbia was “committed to the fight against anti-Semitism and to ensuring the safety of all students, faculty and staff.”

The Wall Street Journal says the university has 30 days to address the government’s concerns and potentially restore the contracts. The administration initially aimed to cut a much larger number of grants, worth billions of dollars, but today decided to keep some National Institutes of Health grants earmarked for Columbia intact , according to the Wall Street Journal. Columbia received more than $639 million in grants from the NIH, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in 2024, according to government data.

(Online Union)

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