Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Secures Major Settlement with Cornell University

President Donald J. Trump’s administration reached a historic settlement with Cornell University aimed at restoring accountability, combating discrimination, and reinforcing merit-based standards in higher education.

• Civil Rights Compliance & Data Access

  • Cornell agrees to comply with federal civil rights laws and end any unlawful racial discrimination in admissions and university programs.
  • The university must provide the federal government access to all relevant data so regulators can verify compliance with merit-based admissions.

• Financial Penalties & Investments

  • Cornell will pay a $30 million penalty to the United States over three years.
  • It will also invest $30 million in research programs that directly benefit U.S. farmers, also over three years.

• Campus Climate & Anti-Semitism

  • Cornell must conduct annual campus climate surveys to ensure Jewish students are safe and that anti-Semitism is addressed.

• Grants & Investigations

  • The settlement reinstates all federal grants to Cornell and restores eligibility for future grants and awards.
  • It closes pending Title VI and Title IX investigations into Cornell.
  • Title VII investigations (employment discrimination) remain open and are not covered by this agreement.

• Ongoing Oversight

  • Cornell’s president must certify quarterly, under penalty of perjury, that the university is in full compliance with the agreement and civil rights laws.
  • Cornell will use the DOJ’s July 2025 guidance on unlawful discrimination as a training resource for faculty and staff.

• Broader Context in Higher Education

  • The Trump Administration acted after public outcry and investigations into Cornell’s alleged discrimination, including:
  • The settlement is framed as a move to protect students, uphold fairness, and enforce merit-based standards.

• Part of a Larger Crackdown on Elite Universities

  • The Administration has similarly challenged Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, and others for alleged discrimination and failure to protect students from violent anti-Semitism.
  • It negotiated a resolution with the University of Pennsylvania to keep men out of women’s sports and restore women’s trophies and records.
  • Trump previously secured a $200+ million settlement with Columbia and a $50 million settlement with Brown, presented as major wins for accountability in academia.

Key Points