The Trump administration is seeking a $1 billion settlement from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), CNN reported, citing documents and sources familiar with the matter. The move follows the freezing of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to the university.
Last week, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk said in a letter to staff and students that $584 million “is suspended and at risk,” warning of serious consequences for the university’s research work. According to CNN, UCLA officials have returned to negotiations in an effort to restore funding.
A draft agreement obtained by CNN would require UCLA to pay the federal government $1 billion in instalments and set up a $172 million fund for people affected by violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination. The proposal also calls for a resolution monitor, a senior compliance officer, a ban on overnight protests, and changes to policies on demonstrations.
Other requirements include ending race- and ethnicity-based scholarships, providing admissions data, ensuring single-sex housing for women, recognising female athletes in women’s sports, and halting gender-affirming care at UCLA’s hospital and medical school.
In exchange, federal funding would be restored and UCLA would be eligible for future grants and contracts.
The Trump administration has also reached multi-million-dollar agreements with Brown University and Columbia University in recent days, CNN said, and is pursuing cases involving Harvard University.
UCLA is under a Justice Department investigation into antisemitism on campus and has recently settled a lawsuit related to alleged targeting of Jewish students during 2024 pro-Palestinian protests.
