Brown University reaches deal with Trump admin to restore federal funding

Settlements & Agreements - The agreement with Brown University involves a $50 million settlement to be paid over 10 years to state workforce development organizations, in addition to a $21 million fine [1][6] - This contrasts with the Colombia agreement, which involved $200 million paid directly to the United States [1][6] - The Brown agreement is nine pages long, while the Colombia agreement is 22 pages long, highlighting differences in specificity [4] - Unlike some settlements reached by the Trump administration with major law firms, the university agreements are formalized in writing [4][5] Key Differences in Agreements - The Colombia agreement includes specific language preventing federal government interference in faculty hiring or admissions, while the Brown agreement has a simpler promise to avoid interfering with academic speech and curricular choices [2] - Brown's settlement focuses on workforce development, potentially to benefit the people of Rhode Island, given the allegations of discrimination against Jewish and transgender students [6][7] - Brown avoided naming an outside monitor, unlike the Colombia agreement, which Harvard may be considering as a red line in their negotiations [7] Harvard Negotiations - Harvard is reportedly in talks for a potential deal involving approximately $500 million [10][13] - Harvard's board of overseers will likely compare their potential deal to those of Brown and Colombia to identify the most favorable terms [11][12] - The outcome of Harvard's negotiations may be influenced by their significant receipt of federal research grants [13] Broader Implications - According to an Axios analysis, President Trump has extracted over $1.2 billion in settlements from entities in tech, media, law, and higher education [15] - Some critics are characterizing these settlements as "legalized extortion" by the federal government [15] - Some settlements, such as the one with CBS Paramount, involve money going to Trump's personal causes, rather than the federal government [16]