Trump’s New Target: Columbia University’s Accreditation

In his latest attack on elite universities, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to suspend the accreditation of Columbia University. The development comes on the same day he signed a proclamation to suspend international visas for new students at Harvard University.

Months after canceling $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University, Trump has escalated his battle with the Ivy League institution, claiming that it does not meet accreditation standards due to its failure to protect Jewish students.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the non-governmental body that accredits Columbia.

Stating that the Education Department believes the university has failed to meet standards of education, the letter read: “The New York college acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students, in a manner that violated federal anti-discrimination laws.”

In a statement, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that in an investigation launched in February, “Columbia failed to meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment on Columbia’s campus and consequently denied these students equal access to educational opportunities to which they are entitled under the law.”

If the elite university loses its accreditation, Columbia will be stripped of its ability to receive federal grants, making it inaccessible to most students across the country.

The institution would also lose access to federal student loans and Pell Grants, without which the price of tuition and fees (excluding room and board) could surge to as high as $71,000 per year.

It may be noted that Columbia awards approximately $225 million in scholarships and grants each year.

Experts believe that Trump’s latest attack poses no immediate threat to Columbia University, as it could take years to strip the institution of its accreditation.

Responding to the development, Columbia University said it is “aware of the concerns raised” by the agency to the commission, adding, “We have addressed those concerns directly with Middle States.”

Trouble began for the university when it became an epicentre for anti-Israel student protests in April 2024. Trump has accused the college of permitting demonstrators to create unsafe conditions for Jewish students on campus. These claims have been denied by both the students and university authorities.

After returning to power, Trump cancelled $400 million in federal grants to Columbia, alleging that the university failed to control anti-Semitism. The administration demanded several changes before resuming federal funding.

Despite meeting the administration’s demands within two weeks, Columbia University continues to face the wrath of Donald Trump.