Northwestern reaches $75M deal with TRUMP administration to get federal funding reinstated

Sunday, November 30, 2025 -Northwestern University has reached a settlement with the Trump administration under which the university will pay $75 million over the next three years in exchange for the restoration of federal funding. 

The agreement ends a months-long standoff that froze nearly $790 million in federal research grants and contracts, a freeze that had significantly disrupted university operations and research programs.

As part of the deal, Northwestern agreed to revoke the 2024 “Deering Meadow” agreement made with pro-Palestinian protesters and to comply with new federal conditions. 

These include stricter campus protest and demonstration policies, mandatory antisemitism training for students, faculty, and staff, and renewed commitments to civil-rights and non-discrimination compliance. The university must also reaffirm protections for women under Title IX, guaranteeing options such as single-sex housing and all-female sports, locker room, and shower access where requested.

Despite the settlement, Northwestern’s leadership, including interim President Henry Bienen, emphasized that the payment does not represent an admission of wrongdoing. 

Administrators stressed that the agreement preserves university control over core functions such as hiring, admissions, and academic governance while restoring access to essential federal funding. They argued that extending the legal fight would have risked deeper financial instability and long-term harm to the university’s research infrastructure.