Columbia University’s accreditation under threat says Trump Admin amid allegations of ignoring Jewish students

The US Department of Education announced on June 4 that Columbia University violated federal anti-discrimination laws, failing to protect Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests on campus. The department said this breach places Columbia in violation of the standards required by its accrediting agency, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

“Deliberate indifference” alleged

Education Secretary Linda McMahon issued a strong statement, saying, “The school’s leadership acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus” following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Accreditation at risk

The Department formally notified the Middle States Commission, stressing that Columbia's actions violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Federal law requires accreditors to notify member institutions of such violations and implement a plan to restore compliance.

“If a university fails to come into compliance within a specified period, an accreditor must take appropriate action against its member institution,” the department stated.

“Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid. They determine which institutions are eligible for federal student loans and Pell Grants. Just as the Department of Education has an obligation to uphold federal antidiscrimination law, university accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards,” she said.

Funding and student aid in jeopardy

Columbia already lost $400 million in federal grants and contracts earlier this year, prompting layoffs of nearly 180 staff. The potential loss of accreditation could have far-reaching impacts, particularly for students who rely on federal aid. According to Columbia’s website, 21% of undergraduates at Columbia College and Columbia Engineering receive Pell Grants.

Trump called Columbia University “very, very bad.”

Trump escalating his confrontation with Harvard University on May 29 accused the institution of disrespecting the country and singling it out as a hotbed of antisemitism linked to anti-Israel protests. But, Trump praised Columbia University for being cooperative, despite also calling it “very, very bad.”

“Harvard has to understand the last thing I want to do is hurt them. They’re hurting themselves. They’re fighting,” Trump said. “Columbia has been very, very bad — what they’ve done, they’re very antisemitic and lots of other things — but they’re working with us on finding a solution.”