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Trump Administration Freezes $1.8 Billion in Federal Funding for Cornell and Northwestern

The funding freeze is part of a broader campaign targeting elite universities over alleged civil rights violations and campus antisemitism policies.

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Cornell University students walk on campus Nov. 6, 2023.
Demonstrators gather at an encampment where students are protesting in support of Palestinians, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Illinois, U.S., April 25, 2024.   REUTERS/Nate Swanson
Campus buildings and downtown Evanston, Illinois, near Northwestern University on July 11, 2023.

Overview

  • Cornell University faces a $1 billion funding freeze, while Northwestern University is set to lose $790 million, as confirmed by the Trump administration late Tuesday night.
  • The frozen funds, spanning grants and contracts from multiple federal agencies, are tied to investigations into alleged failures to protect Jewish students and address campus antisemitism.
  • This action follows earlier funding cuts to Columbia, UPenn, and other Ivy League schools, highlighting the administration's focus on elite institutions in historically Democratic states.
  • Princeton University has publicly refused to alter its policies in response to similar federal funding threats, citing a commitment to academic freedom and institutional values.
  • Critics, including human rights advocates, have raised concerns about free speech and academic autonomy, accusing the administration of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.