Northwestern University President Michael Schill announced his resignation on Sept. 4, 2025, as the university continues to contend with a federal funding freeze. The administration said Schill will remain in his post until an interim president is named while the school works to restore about $790 million in suspended federal support tied to ongoing Title VI inquiries.
Key Takeaways
- Michael Schill, president since September 2022, announced his resignation on Sept. 4, 2025.
- The Trump administration placed a federal funding freeze affecting roughly $790 million for Northwestern about four months earlier.
- The freeze is tied to Title VI-related investigations; the university says it has cooperated with the Department of Education and congressional inquiries.
- Schill will remain in office until an interim president is appointed.
- The university says the suspended funds support critical research, including work on a miniature pacemaker and Alzheimer’s studies.
- The White House signaled willingness to work with new leadership; a spokesperson used a campaign-style phrase in commenting.
- Cornell University has faced a related freeze of about $1 billion, indicating broader federal scrutiny of some campuses.
Verified Facts
Schill took office as Northwestern’s president in September 2022. In a message to the campus community on Sept. 4, 2025, he said that given progress made and challenges ahead, it was the right moment for a leadership transition. The university confirmed no interim successor had been named at the time of his announcement.
The university publicly identified a federal funding suspension that began roughly four months before Schill’s resignation. Northwestern says the freeze affects approximately $790 million in federal funds; a separate, contemporaneous freeze of about $1 billion was reported for Cornell University.
The White House linked the freezes to multiple inquiries under Title VI, the federal statute that conditions certain funding on nondiscrimination in programs receiving federal support. Northwestern has stated it has fully cooperated with investigations by the U.S. Department of Education and with congressional oversight.
Northwestern emphasized that the withheld funds support research projects the university describes as “innovative and life‑saving,” including the development of the world’s smallest pacemaker and several Alzheimer’s research programs. University officials said Schill helped lead efforts to preserve funding for critical studies during the freeze.
Context & Impact
The funding suspension has immediate operational and reputational consequences. Research grants, laboratory operations and multi‑year clinical studies commonly rely on federal awards; delays or interruptions can slow experiments, affect staff and complicate collaborations with industry and other academic partners.
Political and regulatory scrutiny of campus programs has increased the stakes for university leaders. Title VI probes focus on nondiscrimination obligations tied to federal support, and a prolonged freeze can pressure governing boards to consider leadership changes or shifts in compliance strategy.
For Northwestern specifically, the freeze could delay translational research milestones tied to medical devices and therapies that rely on federal grants. Restoring funds will likely require continued coordination with federal agencies and congressional offices.
Nearby institutions and the higher education sector are watching closely: similar actions at peer universities suggest the issue could reshape how campuses manage funded programs and external relationships.
“As I reflect on the progress we have made and what lies ahead, I believe now is the right time for new leadership to guide Northwestern into its next chapter.”
Michael Schill / Northwestern University message, Sept. 4, 2025
“The Trump Administration looks forward to working with the new leadership, and we hope they seize this opportunity to Make Northwestern Great Again.”
Liz Huston, White House spokesperson
Unconfirmed
- Whether the funding freeze was the sole or primary reason for Schill’s decision beyond his stated assessment of timing and challenges.
- Timing and identity of the interim president to be named by Northwestern’s Board of Trustees.
- Any specific administrative or legal steps that will definitively restore the suspended $790 million.
Bottom Line
Michael Schill’s resignation arrives as Northwestern works to recover substantial federal funding tied to Title VI inquiries. The immediate priority for the university and its board will be appointing interim leadership and pressing federal authorities to lift the freeze so research programs can proceed.