By Mark Tanos
Northwestern University will pay $75 million to the U.S. Treasury to settle federal antisemitism investigations and restore hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding.
The Trump administration cut off $790 million in grants after accusing the school of failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus. Northwestern will make the payment over three years under the agreement announced Friday night, the Associated Press reported.
The deal requires Northwestern to revoke the Deering Meadow agreement, which the university signed in April 2024 to end a pro-Palestinian tent encampment. The university must also develop training materials to “socialize international students” with open debate norms and uphold Title IX commitments for women. (RELATED: Top Federally Funded University Announces Free Tuition For Most Students)
Interim President Henry Bienen said Northwestern refused to surrender control over hiring, admissions, or curriculum during negotiations. “I would not have signed this agreement without provisions ensuring that is the case,” he said.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the settlement a “roadmap for institutional leaders around the country that will help rebuild public trust in our colleges and universities.”
The fine is the second largest behind Columbia University, which agreed to pay $200 million in July. Brown and Cornell also reached agreements with the government following similar investigations. Harvard remains in negotiations after winning a court victory in September when a federal judge ordered restored funding, ruling the administration “used antisemitism as a smokescreen.”
Former Northwestern president Michael Schill resigned in September after a years-long battle with both the Biden and Trump administrations over the university’s antisemitism response. Schill played a central role in the 2024 protest deal that the settlement now requires Northwestern to revoke.
