Cornell University to pay $60 million to restore Federal funding in Trump deal

Cornell University has agreed to a settlement with the Trump administration, committing to pay $60 million to ensure the restoration of $250 million in federal funding to the prestigious Ivy League school. The settlement concludes a significant row that began when President Donald Trump targeted Cornell as part of a crackdown on elite universities he accused of harboring liberal bias and allowing antisemitism on campus.As a direct result of the Trump administration’s actions, Cornell reported it was subjected to stop-work orders, grant terminations, and funding freezes, with the total value of the interrupted grants and contracts estimated at $250 million.  The administration had launched civil rights probes against Cornell and numerous other universities, alleging they failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination during campus protests against Israels war in Gaza.Under the terms of the new agreement, Cornell will make a two-part financial commitment totaling $60 million over three years. This commitment includes investing $30 million in research aimed at strengthening U.S. agriculture, and paying the remaining $30 million directly to the government. Crucially, the civil rights probe against Cornell has been terminated. The university was explicit in its statement, stressing that the agreement is “not an admission of wrongdoing.” Cornell University president Michael Kotlikoff welcomed the announcement, saying the agreement “acknowledges the governments commitment to enforce existing anti-discrimination law, while protecting our academic freedom and institutional independence.”  He added that the resolution will allow the university to “return to our teaching and research in restored partnership with federal agencies.” While Trump had initially sought to control the admissions and hiring decisions of the targeted universities, Cornell confirmed that the final deal explicitly allows it to make admissions and hiring decisions based on merit. The post Cornell University to pay $60 million to restore Federal funding in Trump deal appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.