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UCLA's cryptic response to Trump's $1 billion settlement offer: ‘Why funding is…’
President Donald Trump is reportedly ready to bury his hatchet with UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), but it's going to cost $1 billion
President Donald Trump is reportedly ready to bury his hatchet with UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), but it's going to cost $1 billion. On Friday, CNN cited sources to report that the Trump administration is pushing for the settlement after freezing the school's hundreds of millions in federal funding last week.
The CNN report added that Chancellor Julio Frenk wrote to students and staff members, noting that $584 million in research funding ‘is suspended and at risk’, warning of ‘devastating’ impacts on the school’s research operations.
As per the new reported settlement, UCLA will have to pay the federal government $1 billion over multiple installments. An additional $172 million will need to be put aside ‘for people impacted by violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin’.
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CNN adds that UCLA has been negotiating with federal officials for days, urging them to restore the funding.
If finalized, the deal would be the largest ever reached between the federal government and a higher education institution. It would impose strict oversight, including a resolution monitor and a new senior administrator dedicated to compliance with anti-discrimination laws.
The proposed agreement also includes sweeping policy changes: banning overnight demonstrations, overhauling protest policies, ending race- and ethnicity-based scholarships, and granting the resolution monitor access to admissions data. UCLA would be required to guarantee single-sex housing for women, provide equal athletic recognition for female athletes, and halt gender-affirming care at its hospital and medical school.
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In exchange, UCLA’s suspended funding would be reinstated, and the school would remain eligible for future federal grants and contracts.
UCLA's apparent response
While neither UCLA nor the White House has confirmed any such settlement offer, the University of California posted a message soon after the CNN report was out.
“Hear from a student why federal funding for science is critical to saving lives and the future of scientific enterprise 👇💙💛 #SpeakUp4Science” it wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. The handle had reposted a video of a UCLA student, PhD candidate Erin Morrow, speaking about funding. They did not mention Trump or the UCLA vs Trump row.
The university is already under a Department of Justice investigation into alleged antisemitism and recently settled a lawsuit claiming it failed to protect Jewish students during 2024 pro-Palestinian protests. In March, UCLA launched its own antisemitism prevention initiative.
