Northwestern Settles for $75M, Regains $790M Funding

Northwestern University has reached a settlement with the federal government, agreeing to pay 75 million dollars over three years to resolve investigations into allegations of antisemitism on campus and restore access to approximately 790 million dollars in frozen federal research funding.

The agreement, announced Friday by the departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services, ends probes that accused the university of failing to adequately address discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin, including race-based admissions practices and a hostile environment for Jewish students. The funding cutoff began in April, when the Trump administration halted grants amid concerns over the university's response to pro-Palestinian protests, including a tent encampment that led to a negotiated agreement with demonstrators. That standoff prompted budget cuts, hundreds of layoffs, and the resignation in September of university President Michael Schill.

Under the deal, Northwestern commits to several measures to enhance civil rights protections. The university will revoke its April 2024 Deering Meadow agreement with protesters, implement mandatory...