Cornell University has agreed to pay $60 million and accept the Trump administration’s interpretation of civil rights laws to restore federal research funding and end ongoing investigations. Associated Press (AFP) reported on Friday.
Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff said the deal would allow the university to recover more than $250 million in research grants withheld by the US government amid civil rights inquiries.
Under the agreement, Cornell will pay $30 million directly to the US government and spend another $30 million on research that supports American farmers.
Kotlikoff said the deal restores the university’s partnership with the federal government “while affirming the university’s commitment to the principles of academic freedom, independence and institutional independence that have, since our founding, been an integral part of our distinctiveness,” according to the AP.
The agreement comes in the wake of similar deals with other universities
The six-page agreement is similar to one recently signed by the University of Virginia, but shorter and less detailed than the deals struck by Columbia University and Brown University, the Associated Press reported.
Cornell must now adhere to the government’s interpretation of civil rights laws related to anti-Semitism, racial discrimination, and transgender issues. A Department of Justice memo directing universities to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and transgender-friendly policies will serve as a training guide for Cornell faculty and staff.
“These reforms are a big win.”
The agreement also requires Cornell to share detailed admissions data with the government to ensure that race is no longer taken into account in admissions decisions, a move that followed a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action.
US President Donald Trump had said earlier that some universities had not adhered to this decision.
Education Minister Linda McMahon described the deal as a “transformational commitment” focused on “meritocracy, rigor and the search for truth”.
“These reforms are a major win in the fight to restore excellence to American higher education and make our schools the greatest in the world,” McMahon said on X.
The Trump administration secured another transformative commitment from an Ivy League institution to end divisive DEL policies. Thanks to this deal with Cornell and the continued work of the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Education Team, America’s universities are refocusing their attention on merit,…
– Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) November 7, 2025
Cornell’s president will be required to certify compliance every three months, and the deal will remain in place until the end of 2028.
The payment amount places the Cornell deal among other recent university settlements. Columbia University agreed to pay $200 million directly to the US government, while Brown University agreed to pay $50 million to the state’s workforce programs. The University of Virginia deal did not include any payments, AP I mentioned.
(tags for translation) Cornell University
