Harvard University and the Trump administration are reportedly close to reaching a $500 million settlement, which would exceed double the $2,000 settlement reached with Columbia University. Negotiators from the White House and Harvard have made significant progress in closed-door discussions over the past week, working toward a framework to end their months-long dispute. Both parties still need to agree on the final terms, with Trump emphasizing the need for increased spending compared to Columbia’s settlement.
Earlier this year, Trump’s administration froze $2.2 billion in Harvard funding and threatened to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status due to its alleged failure to address antisemitism on campus. In response, Harvard filed a lawsuit, arguing that the financial freeze was unlawful. The Trump administration has also directed the Department of Education’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism to cut $450 million in grants from the university, citing its failure to address pervasive race discrimination and antisemitic harassment on campus.
The proposed settlement would have Harvard allocate $500 million for vocational and educational programs and research, which would be paid out over multiple years. This amount is significantly more than the $200 million Columbia agreed to pay, which included $21 million specifically for Jewish faculty discrimination claims. The White House has hailed the Columbia settlement as the largest antisemitism-related deal in U.S. history, while Harvard has yet to comment on the potential agreement.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who has previously praised the Columbia agreement, said it sets a precedent for university accountability. However, the White House has not yet responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Given the magnitude of these financial settlements, the potential resolution of this dispute could have wide-reaching implications beyond Harvard, influencing other institutions facing similar scrutiny over campus conduct and antisemitism issues.