US President Donald Trump’s administration said on Friday it was cutting US$400 million ($700m) in federal grants to Columbia University over claims the institution stood by “in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students” following anti-Israel protests.
Four government agencies announced in a statement “the immediate cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students”.
Trump said earlier this week that he would cut funding for schools that allow “illegal protests,” his latest threat to turn off the flow of federal money to the country’s education system.
US campuses including Columbia’s were rocked last year by student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attacks, which ignited accusations of anti-Semitism.
Friday’s statement, issued by the US General Services Administration, said the cuts were the “first round of action” – and that additional cancellations are expected to follow.
