03/14/2025March 14, 2025
The Trump administration has told Columbia Univy to change its policy or lose funds
President Donald Trump's administration has given up control of the international research sector and threatened to cancel federal funds from Columbia University unless major policy changes were made.
In a letter sent by the Ministry of Education, General Services and the Ministry of Health and Human Services, federal officials said that universities must quickly place the Middle East, South Asia and African Studies departments under “a minimum of five years of academic recipients.”
Columbia must also ban masks on campuses that aim to hide the identity of wearers, threaten others, adopt new definitions of anti-Semitism, and abolish the current process of managing discipline for students.
“We look forward to immediate compliance with these important next steps,” the authorities wrote.
Last week, the government said it had cancelled $400 million (367 million euros) in federal grants and school contracts.
The university has a 30-day period, allowing it to try to address government concerns.
The Trump administration is urging increased pressure on universities, which was the epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests on dozens of U.S. university campuses last spring.
At the same time, the Ministry of Education said it is investigating 45 universities, citing complaints that schools are engaged in programs that set eligibility based on race.
“Today's announcement expands efforts to ensure that universities do not discriminate against students based on race and racial stereotypes,” U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.
