• Cornell University agrees to a $60 million deal with the Trump administration.
• The deal includes a $30 million payment to the federal government and $30 million for U.S. agriculture research.
• It resolves investigations into alleged civil rights violations affecting funding.
• The agreement emphasizes compliance with the administration's interpretation of civil rights laws.
• Education Secretary praised the settlement as a transformative commitment for higher education.

Cornell University has reached a $60 million agreement with the Trump administration aimed at restoring more than $250 million in frozen federal funding. The arrangement includes a $30 million direct payment to the federal government, alongside another $30 million earmarked for agricultural research, a nod to the university's land-grant roots, according to Reuters and CBS News.

The decision to enter this agreement comes after months of investigations into alleged civil rights violations linked to campus protests. Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff emphasized that the settlement allows the university to uphold its principles of academic freedom while aiding in reversing the funding freeze that disrupted research projects across its campuses, according to Los Angeles Times and ABC News.

The agreement imposes compliance with the Trump administration's interpretation of civil rights law concerning antisemitism and diversity policies, requiring Cornell to provide detailed admissions data to ensure compliance with a 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon hailed this deal as "transformative" for American higher education, underscoring a shift towards meritocracy, as noted by India Times and ABC News.

While the agreement has garnered support from some in the administration, it has faced criticism from academic groups, who view the requirements as a potential threat to the institution's autonomy and academic freedom. The arrangement obligates Cornell to maintain detailed certification of compliance, with ongoing evaluations through 2028, as reported by Los Angeles Times and Reuters.