The New York Times is reporting Harvard could pay as much as $500 million to settle the antisemitism and other issues raised by the Trump Administration.
Harvard leaders have been negotiating with the White House even as they battle in court to regain access to billions in federal research funding terminated by the Trump administration.
The Trump administration plans to use its deal with Columbia as a template for other universities, with financial penalties that are now seen as a staple for future agreements. Last week, Columbia leaders agreed to pay $200 million as part of a settlement to resolve investigations into alleged violations of federal antidiscrimination laws and restore more than $400 million in research grants.
Columbia had been in talks for months after the Trump administration accused the university of allowing the harassment of Jewish students and employees amid a wave of sometimes violent anti-Israel protests. Harvard faces similar accusations but, unlike Columbia, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school challenged the administration’s funding cuts and subsequent sanctions in court.
Last week, President Donald Trump said Harvard “wants to settle” but he said Columbia “handled it better.”
On another front, the University of Pennsylvania agreed this month to modify school records set by a male swimmer who the university allowed to compete against women swimmers and ended up winning medals. As part of the settlement with the Trump administration, the male swimmer was stripped of his medals and the university agreed to issue formal apologies to every female competitor who lost out to a biological male, marking the end to a landmark legal battle.
The Trump administration has opened investigations at dozens of universities over allegations of antisemitism or racial discrimination in the form of diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Several face funding freezes akin to those at Harvard, including more than $1 billion at Cornell University and $790 million at Northwestern University.
