Columbia University announced Tuesday it’s laying off about 180 employees just weeks after the Trump administration pulled the plug on $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,” said acting Columbia President Claire Shipman in a somber statement. “This represents about 20% of the individuals who are funded in some manner by the terminated grants.”
The cuts mark a dramatic pivot for one of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions, now navigating the uncertain financial and political terrain reshaped by a federal rebuke.
“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,” Shipman added. “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.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
$400 Million Vanished Overnight
The funding freeze, announced in March, came after multiple federal agencies including the DOJ, HHS, Department of Education, and the GSA jointly cut ties with Columbia over what they described as persistent inaction amid ongoing antisemitic incidents on campus.
Columbia, in an earlier statement, confirmed the sweeping scope of the financial blow: “The federal agencies cite ‘the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.’ There is no question that the cancellation of these funds will immediately impact research and other critical functions of the University, impacting students, faculty, staff, research, and patient care.”
The hit touches nearly every corner of Columbia’s academic and research apparatus—from medical studies and scientific research to operational support and student services.
Columbia Concedes to Federal Pressure, But Will It Be Enough?
In an attempt to halt the financial bleeding and restore its standing with Washington, Columbia began implementing sweeping reforms in April. Among them: banning masks used to conceal identities during protests, empowering 36 campus police officers with expanded arrest powers, and installing a senior vice provost to oversee sensitive academic departments, including Middle East, South Asian and African Studies and the Center for Palestine Studies.
Despite those concessions, the funding tap remains largely shut off—for now.
“Columbia’s leadership continues discussions with the federal government in support of resuming activity on these research awards and additional other awards that have remained active, but unpaid,” Shipman noted.
Financial Pressure Squeezes Staff, Campus Community
The layoffs are just the first tangible sign of how deeply the loss of federal support is being felt across the university. Research projects are in limbo. Patient care initiatives tied to federal grants are stalling. And now, nearly 200 staff are suddenly out of a job.
“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 explained.
“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.”
A Campus Under Fire
The layoffs follow months of rising tension on Columbia’s New York City campus, where pro-Palestinian protests have escalated into confrontations with staff, police, and Jewish students. In late April, demonstrators took over Hamilton Hall, sparking national headlines and prompting further scrutiny from federal officials and watchdog groups.
Lawsuits, like the one filed by janitors who say they were held hostage inside the building and subjected to antisemitic abuse, have only intensified pressure on the university to restore order and demonstrate accountability.
With the university’s reputation under siege and its funding base shaken, Columbia is facing one of its most defining tests in recent memory. Whether it can rebuild trust, both on campus and in Washington remains to be seen.
