Columbia University Cuts 180 Staff After Trump Administration Revokes $400M in Grants

NEW YORK — Columbia University announced Tuesday it will lay off approximately 180 staff members following the Trump administration's decision in March to revoke $400 million in federal grants, citing the university's "failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment."

"Across the research portfolio we have had to make difficult choices and unfortunately, today, nearly 180 of our colleagues who have been working, in whole or in part, on impacted federal grants, will receive notices of non-renewal or termination," acting Columbia University President Claire Shipman said in a statement. "This represents about 20% of the individuals who are funded in some manner by the terminated grants."

The layoffs come as Columbia grapples with the financial fallout from the grant cancellations, which were enacted by the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, and the U.S. General Services Administration. The federal agencies pointed to the university's alleged inaction against persistent harassment of Jewish students as the reason for the funding cut.

"Increasing budget constraints combined with uncertainty related to future levels of federal funding for research, including proposed reductions in facilities and administration (i.e., indirect costs) reimbursements, requires us to make difficult choices," Shipman said. "We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources. Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard."

In March, Columbia acknowledged the federal action, stating the funding loss would "immediately impact research and other critical functions of the University, impacting students, faculty, staff, research, and patient care." In April, the university took steps to address federal concerns, agreeing to ban masks used to conceal identities, grant arrest powers to 36 campus police officers, and appoint a senior vice provost to oversee the Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies department and the Center for Palestine Studies.

Shipman noted that Columbia's leadership is in ongoing discussions with the federal government to resume funding for the affected research awards and other unpaid grants. "In the coming weeks and months, we will need to continue to take actions that preserve our financial flexibility and allow us to invest in areas that drive us forward," she said. "This is a deeply challenging time across all higher education, and we are attempting to navigate through tremendous ambiguity with precision, which will be imperfect at times."

Columbia's layoffs follow a broader trend of financial strain in higher education. Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island also announced layoffs Monday, citing declining enrollment.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Columbia's layoffs. The university's actions reflect the broader challenges facing institutions navigating federal funding uncertainties and campus climate issues.