Overview

• On June 4, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights informed the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that Columbia is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws and fails to meet accreditation standards.
• Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the finding centers on what the department called deliberate indifference to antisemitic harassment of Jewish students beginning October 7, 2023.
• In March, the Trump administration canceled $400 million in federal grants after concluding Columbia had not adequately addressed campus antisemitism despite later policy revisions.
• If accreditation is revoked, Columbia would lose access to Title IV federal student aid programs, including Pell Grants and federal loans, effectively cutting off support for most of its students.
• The accreditation threat represents the latest escalation in the administration’s broader campaign to hold universities accountable for their handling of antisemitism on campus.