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The Education Department alleged Wednesday that Columbia University no longer meets accreditation standards, an escalation of the Trump administration's scrutiny of the institution, which it has accused of violating federal antidiscrimination laws.
Determinations about accreditation are not made by the federal government, but by accrediting bodies through a lengthy process. But the Education Department's allegation is another pressure point from the Trump administration on Columbia.
Federal officials have sought to force the school to make changes, including doing more to combat antisemitism after divisive protests over the Israel-Gaza war roiled the campus during the 2023-2024 school year.
In March, the Trump administration announced that $400 million in funding to Columbia had been canceled over the issue. University leaders have since been in talks with federal officials in an effort to restore that funding and avoid further punitive actions.
Columbia is not the only university federal officials have targeted. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has been warring with Harvard University, which rejected demands and filed two lawsuits challenging federal investigations into the school and the freezing of billions of dollars in research funding.
On Wednesday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified at a House Education Committee hearing that the department had asked Harvard to come to the table and negotiate as Columbia had done.
Several hours later, the Education Department said in a news release that it had notified Columbia's accrediting agency, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, that the Ivy League school is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws and therefore fails to meet the standards of accreditation.
Last month, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights determined that Columbia University "acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students," in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The agencies concluded that the school "failed to meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment on Columbia's campus," thus denying their equal access to educational opportunities.
Columbia officials are aware of the concerns raised by the Education Department to the accrediting agency, a university spokesperson said Wednesday, "and we have addressed those concerns directly with Middle States."
"Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus," the spokesperson added. "We take this issue seriously and are continuing to work with the federal government to address it."
A spokeswoman for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education declined to comment.
Last month, Columbia's acting president, Claire Shipman, said in a statement that everyone must feel safe, supported and respected on campus, adding: "The toll antisemitism has taken on individuals in our community is something I've witnessed personally, and it is devastating." She said the university has taken steps including increasing security near Jewish student spaces, expanding support services and streamlining disciplinary processes to respond swiftly to violations of the rules.
The Education Department relies on accrediting agencies to determine whether colleges are eligible to receive federal student aid. The agencies conduct periodic reviews of colleges' finances, operations, student achievement and more.
If a college were to lose accreditation, it would no longer be eligible for federal student financial aid funding.
"Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid," McMahon said in the department's release. "They determine which institutions are eligible for federal student loans and Pell Grants. 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."
The department said accreditors must notify a university about any federal noncompliance finding, establish a plan to come into compliance and take "appropriate action" if the school does not come into compliance within a certain period.