Brown University has finalized a $50 million settlement with the Trump administration to restore suspended federal research funding and end multiple discrimination investigations, university officials announced Wednesday.
The agreement requires the Ivy League institution to contribute $50 million over a decade to Rhode Island workforce development programs while implementing several policy changes aligned with the administration’s educational priorities.
Under the three-year deal, Brown will receive reimbursement of $50 million in previously unpaid federal grant expenses and see the restoration of numerous suspended grants and contracts that were frozen earlier this year. The settlement also ends three federal investigations reviewing alleged anti-Semitism and racial discrimination in university admissions processes, with no determination of institutional wrongdoing.
Brown President Christina H. Paxson said in a statement following the settlement that the arrangement preserves the institution’s educational autonomy, stating “the University’s foremost priority throughout discussions with the government was remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown.”
The settlement mandates that Brown adopt federal definitions of gender classifications and eliminate all racial considerations from its admissions procedures. Such requirements extend beyond existing Supreme Court restrictions, prohibiting the use of any racial proxies in admissions decisions, including personal essays or diversity-focused narratives.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the agreement ensures students will be evaluated “solely on their merits, not their race or sex.” McMahon added, “The Trump Administration is successfully reversing the decades-long woke-capture of our nation’s higher education institutions.”
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon speaks during the summer meeting of the National Governors Association at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. David Zalubowski/AP Photo
The settlement includes specific measures addressing campus anti-Semitism concerns. Brown must reestablish academic partnerships with the Israeli institutions with which it cut ties in response to pro-Palestinian activism and actively recruit students from Jewish day schools, as they had likely faced threats of anti-Semitism. Before year-end, the university must engage an independent organization, selected jointly with federal officials, to conduct a comprehensive survey of campus climate for Jewish students.
Additionally, Brown must provide student data to federal authorities, including racial demographics, academic performance metrics, and standardized test results for all applicants and admitted students. This information will undergo government auditing.
The agreement excludes outside monitoring provisions that were included in Columbia University’s recent settlement.
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, described Brown’s financial commitment to workforce development as “a step forward” compared to Columbia’s direct governmental payment.
However, Mitchell said he was uncertain about future federal pressure on universities. “Let’s remember, these are deals. These are not policies,” he said, adding, “I had hoped that the Trump administration, when it came in, was going to be interested in having serious policy discussions about the future of higher education. They’ve yet to do that.”
Brown’s financial difficulties began after the university reached an agreement with pro-Palestinian protesters during campus demonstrations related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The university initially agreed to consider divestment from companies supporting an alleged “occupation” by Israel, though its governing board ultimately rejected the divestment proposal.
The administration has taken similar actions against other prestigious institutions, with Columbia University losing $400 million in federal funding and agreeing to pay $200 million in fines. Harvard University faces review of nearly $9 billion in federal grants, while Princeton University has experienced suspension of numerous research grants.
In her campus communication, Paxson acknowledged the financial pressures facing the university and “a growing push for government intrusion” in academic affairs.
“We stand solidly behind commitments we repeatedly have affirmed to protect all members of our community from harassment and discrimination, and we protect the ability of our faculty and students to study and learn academic subjects of their choosing, free from censorship,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
