A federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit brought by the AAUP and the AFT over Columbia University’s federal funding freeze, ruling the case moot. The three-judge panel cleared the way for the unions’ legal strategy to end after Columbia struck an agreement with the Trump administration restoring most suspended funding. Under the settlement, Columbia agreed to pay the government $221 million and provide extensive admissions data, along with reviewing academic programs focused on regional areas starting with the Middle East. Columbia was not a named party in the original lawsuit, and the earlier dismissal was tied to standing. For faculty governance and union leaders, the decision signals how quickly funding disputes can become unreviewable once administrations and universities reach compliance-based settlements. It also underscores the operational leverage federal grants carry in shaping institutional policy even before courts rule on the merits.