Northwestern prepares for Trump Administration to freeze $790 million in funding

EVANSTON, Ill. (WGN) — The Trump administration has reportedly frozen $790 million in funding for Northwestern University while the government investigates alleged civil rights violations at the school, the White House said.

Northwestern has not received any official notification from the federal government, according to a spokesperson.

The university released the following statement Wednesday:

Northwestern was informed by members of the media that the federal government will freeze a significant portion of our federal funding. The University has not received any official notification from the federal government.

We are working closely with members of our Board, deans and our administration to assess the impact of these actions. We will continue to keep both affected individuals and the broader community informed as the implications of these actions become clearer.

Thank you for your continued dedication and patience.
Northwestern University

The New York Times reported Tuesday evening that the Trump administration plans to freeze $790 million in federal grants and other funding earmarked for Northwestern, along with $1 billion in federal funding directed toward the Ivy League’s Cornell University.

The university spokesperson noted an interruption in federal funding to the school could curtail innovative and life-saving research, like the recent development by Northwestern researchers of the world’s smallest pacemaker, and research fueling the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

The spokesperson also said the university has fully cooperated with investigations by both the Department of Education and Congress.

Back in February, Northwestern was one of five universities that came into the sights of the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on what they call anti-Jewish bias on college campuses.

The university negotiated an agreement with student protestors to have their encampment at Deering Meadows on the school’s Evanston campus torn down, a move the Trump administration called a “stunning capitulation.”

In 2024, Northwestern President Michael Schill was among university presidents who were called to testify in Washington D.C. At the time, Republicans sought accountability for allegations of anti-Semitism involving Pro-Palestinian protests that took place on college campuses following Israel’s bombings of the Gaza Strip—military actions the country said was in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks.

That led to Northwestern including updates to the school’s Student Code of Conduct and disciplinary procedures, along with investing in public safety, a university spokesperson said.