Brown University has reached a landmark $50 million agreement with the Trump administration, aimed at ending federal investigations into alleged discrimination while simultaneously restoring suspended federal research funding.
The agreement, announced on Wednesday, includes several concessions aligned with President Donald Trump’s political agenda, notably adopting the government’s definitions of gender and eliminating race as a factor in admissions decisions.
In a statement, Brown President Christina H. Paxson emphasized the university’s commitment to preserving its academic integrity, stating that the agreement includes a clause that ensures the government cannot dictate Brown’s curriculum or academic discourse.
“The University’s foremost priority throughout discussions with the government was remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown,” Paxson explained in a campus letter.
This agreement marks the latest development in a series of settlements between Ivy League institutions and the Trump administration, which has targeted perceived biases in higher education that it associates with liberal ideologies.
Federal investigations into diversity and inclusion initiatives at universities have intensified, with claims that these programs discriminate against white and Asian American students.
The deal with Brown mirrors a previous agreement signed by Columbia University, which the Trump administration has suggested could serve as a model for other institutions.
However, there are differences between the two: Brown’s agreement does not involve an external monitor, distinguishing it from Columbia’s recent settlement.
Under the terms of the three-year deal, Brown will have access to numerous federal grants and contracts that had previously been suspended. In addition, the federal government will reimburse Brown for $50 million in outstanding grant expenses.
This settlement concludes three federal investigations regarding accusations of antisemitism and racial bias in Brown’s admissions process, despite the university’s assertion that it had not engaged in any unlawful activities.
In her letter addressing the situation, Paxson expressed the need for Brown to navigate federal scrutiny while upholding its institutional values.
She remarked, “We stand solidly behind commitments we repeatedly have affirmed to protect all members of our community from harassment and discrimination, and we protect the ability of our faculty and students to study and learn academic subjects of their choosing, free from censorship.”
As part of the settlement, Brown has committed to implementing measures that directly address allegations of antisemitism on its campus.
The university will work to renew collaborations with Israeli academics and promote Brown as a viable option for students attending Jewish day schools.
By the end of this year, Brown is also mandated to engage an independent organization—selected jointly by the university and the government—to conduct a survey regarding the campus environment for Jewish students.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the agreement, asserting that it guarantees students will be evaluated based solely on their merits, irrespective of their race or sex.
“The Trump Administration is successfully reversing the decades-long woke-capture of our nation’s higher education institutions,” McMahon stated in a press release.
The settlement obliges Brown to present comprehensive data regarding its admissions process, disclosing applications and acceptance statistics that include students’ race, grades, and standardized test scores.
This data will undergo a rigorous audit by the federal government to ensure compliance.
Additionally, the agreement prohibits Brown from granting any preferential treatment to applicants based on their race.
Although a 2023 Supreme Court ruling has already curtailed such practices, the new agreement further extends these limitations by forbidding any use of indirect race-based criteria in admissions, such as personal statements or narratives centered on diversity.
The $50 million payout to workforce development organizations in Rhode Island will be made over a decade, which analysts suggest is a more constructive option compared to fines imposed on universities like Columbia.
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, viewed this approach as a potentially positive move, although he cautioned about the ongoing uncertainty surrounding governmental influence over universities.
“Let’s remember, these are deals. These are not policies,” Mitchell noted, reflecting on the lack of substantive policy discussions initiated by the Trump administration regarding higher education.
Columbia’s recent agreement includes $200 million in payments to the government, while negotiations with Harvard have seen the administration pushing for even more substantial financial commitments.
In a separate matter, the University of Pennsylvania reached an agreement concerning the record-keeping of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, which did not involve any fines.
This current agreement with Brown not only addresses immediate concerns tied to federal oversight but also sets a notable precedent in the landscape of higher education’s relationship with the federal government.
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