Trump administration wants Harvard to pay far more than Columbia as part of settlement

By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Tuition Writer WASHINGTON AP The Trump administration is pressing for a deal with Harvard University that would require the Ivy League school to pay far more than the million fine agreed to by Columbia University to resolve multiple federal investigations according to two people familiar with the matter Harvard would be expected to pay hundreds of millions of dollars as part of any settlement to end investigations into antisemitism at its campus stated the people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations Harvard leaders have been negotiating with the White House even as they battle in court to regain access to billions in federal research funding terminated by the Trump administration The White House s desire to get Harvard to pay far more than Columbia was first disclosed by The New York Times which explained the school has signaled a willingness to pay as much as million Harvard did not forthwith comment The Trump administration plans to use its deal with Columbia as a template for other universities with financial penalties that are now seen as a staple for future agreements Last week Columbia leaders agreed to pay million as part of a settlement to resolve investigations into alleged violations of federal antidiscrimination laws and restore more than million in research grants Columbia had been in talks for months after the Trump administration accused the university of allowing the harassment of Jewish students and employees amid a wave of campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war Harvard faces similar accusations but unlike Columbia the Cambridge Massachusetts school challenged the administration s funding cuts and subsequent sanctions in court Last week President Donald Trump mentioned Harvard wants to settle but he noted Columbia handled it better The Trump administration s emphasis on financial penalties adds a new dimension for colleges facing federal scrutiny In the past civil rights investigations by the Schooling Department almost invariably ended with voluntary agreements and rarely included fines Even when the establishment has levied fines they ve been a small fraction of the scale Trump is seeking Last year the Development Department fined Liberty University million after finding the Christian school failed to disclose crimes on its campus It was the the bulk the regime had ever fined a university under the Clery Act following a million fine dealt to Michigan State University in for its handling of sexual assault complaints against disgraced sports practitioner Larry Nassar Related Articles Lawyers for Epstein s former girlfriend say she s open to interview with Congress if given immunity Higher US tariffs part of the price Europe was willing to pay for its guard and arms for Ukraine Russia kills civilians in Ukraine as the Kremlin remains defiant over Trump threats Trump gave the USOPC cover on its transgender athlete approach change It could end up in court anyway Changes to federal pupil loans leave aspiring physiological students scrambling to cover costs The University of Pennsylvania agreed this month to modify school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas but that school s deal with the Trump administration included no fine The Trump administration has opened investigations at dozens of universities over accusations of antisemitism or racial discrimination in the form of diversity equity and inclusion policies Several face funding freezes akin to those at Harvard including more than billion at Cornell University and million at Northwestern University Last week Training Secretary Linda McMahon called the Columbia deal a roadmap for other colleges saying it would ripple across the higher teaching sector and change the subject of campus custom for years to come The Associated Press coaching coverage receives financial patronage from multiple private foundations AP is solely responsible for all content Find AP s standards for working with philanthropies a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP org