Cornell University announces deal with Trump administration to restore withheld federal funding
President Donald Trump attends a dinner with leaders from countries in Central Asia, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cornell University has agreed to pay $60 million and accept the Trump administration’s interpretation of civil rights laws in order to restore federal funding and end investigations into the Ivy League school.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced the agreement on Friday, saying it upholds the university’s academic freedom while restoring more than $250 million in research funding that the government withheld amid investigations into alleged civil rights violations.
The university agreed to pay $30 million directly to the U.S. government along with another $30 million toward research that will support U.S. farmers.
“This agreement revives that partnership, while affirming the university’s commitment to the principles of academic freedom, independence, and institutional autonomy that, from our founding, have been integral to our excellence,” Kotlikoff said in a statement.