For America’s best institutions, the White House has a fresh proposal: More financing, but with conditions. Nine prestigious universities, including MIT, Dartmouth, the University of Pennsylvania, USC, Brown, and the University of Virginia, have received a draft agreement from the Trump administration requesting that they support the president’s political agenda in return for increased government funding.
The Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, a 10-page document, lays out broad guidelines. Universities would have to follow Washington’s policies regarding admissions, free speech, women’s sports, student discipline, and affordability, according to the Associated Press. The government’s definition of gender would also have to be accepted, applied to athletics and campus amenities, and SAT or ACT testing would once again be required for admission.
The agreement offers significant incentives, including the opportunity to influence the final wording of the compact before its November 21 deadline, increased overhead payments, and “substantial and meaningful” awards. Compared to Trump’s previous tactic of slashing billions from institutions accused of “liberal bias,” the offer represents a change in tone.
Certain clauses directly target established campus customs. The agreement would require affluent universities to forgo tuition for US students enrolled in STEM programs, cap overseas enrollment at 15%, and freeze tuition for five years. Additionally, universities would need to keep an eye on ideological diversity, disband groups that are allegedly stifling conservative views, and implement stringent anti-disruptive protest measures.
Reactions were quick. The University of Virginia acknowledged that administrators had been gathered to review the idea. The opportunity was embraced by Texas system regents, who saw it as a “honor” to be included. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared that his state “will not bankroll schools that surrender academic freedom” and threatened to withhold state financing from any California campus that signs.
The compact, according to critics, threatens the autonomy of higher education. The American Council on Education’s head, Ted Mitchell, referred to it as a “Faustian bargain.” Larry Summers, a former Treasury secretary, was more direct, calling the plan an attempt to “fix a watch with a hammer.”
