Education Department says Columbia fails to meet accreditation standard

The Education Department announced on Wednesday that Columbia University was in violation of federal antidiscrimination law, which puts it at risk of losing federal student loans and Pell Grants. 

The federal agency said it was notifying the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, a college accreditation group that determines which schools can receive student loans, of the Title VI violation, arguing the failure means the organization should strip Columbia of its accreditation status.

“After Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, Columbia University’s leadership acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus. This is not only immoral, but also unlawful. Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. 

“Just as the Department of Education has an obligation to uphold federal antidiscrimination law, university accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards,” McMahon said. “We look forward to the Commission keeping the Department fully informed of actions taken to ensure Columbia’s compliance with accreditation standards including compliance with federal civil rights laws.”

The Hill has reached out to Columbia for comment.

Losing accreditation would be the biggest hit any university could take from the Trump administration. It means a school would no longer be eligible for federal student loans or Pell Grants, making an institution inaccessible to most of the country.  

The commission said it has received a letter from the department about the matter but has no comment at this time.

The finding that Columbia violated Title VI comes after the university capitulated to many of the Trump administration's demands, such as revising its disciplinary and protesting policies.  

The university has also lost hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, as President Trump has seen Columbia as one of the worst offenders in alleged inaction to combat antisemitism.  

The move to notify Columbia’s accreditor brings the worst fear of those in the higher education sphere into reality, as many have been nervous Trump’s fight with the country’s universities could end up here.