Thu Sep 04 20:10:00 UTC 2025: **Northwestern University President Resigns Amid Federal Funding Freeze**
**EVANSTON, IL -** Northwestern University President Michael Schill announced his resignation Thursday, citing “serious and often painful challenges” including a Trump administration-imposed funding freeze of $790 million. Schill’s departure follows a wave of resignations from university leaders grappling with federal pressure over diversity initiatives and campus protests.
The funding freeze, initiated four months ago, is allegedly linked to Title VI investigations by the Department of Education, prompted by concerns regarding discrimination on campus. A White House spokesperson expressed hope that the new leadership would “Make Northwestern Great Again.”
The university maintains it has fully cooperated with investigations and has updated policies to address antisemitism, claiming a significant decrease in reported incidents. However, House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik criticized Schill for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students and caving to “antisemitic, pro-Hamas” elements on campus.
Northwestern, like other elite universities such as Cornell and Harvard, has been locked in a battle with the Trump administration over funding, with the university stating that the funds are used for critical research, including projects related to pacemakers and Alzheimer’s disease. A recent federal court victory for Harvard in a similar funding dispute has not swayed the situation at Northwestern.
Schill will remain in his position until an interim president is named, after which he plans to return to the faculty at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. The university leadership has not yet announced a date for transition.
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