White House Proposes Compact for Universities to Align with Trump Administration's Agenda

Tue Oct 21 2025 02:29:03 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The Trump Administration is urging nine prominent universities to adopt a compact that aligns with its political priorities for favorable federal funding access, sparking a debate on academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

The White House has approached nine major universities, proposing a 'Compact for Academic Excellence' that commits them to adopt specific political priorities. In exchange, these universities would gain priority access to federal funds and White House events. The requirements include standardizing definitions of gender, limiting race and gender considerations in admissions, and promoting free speech. This initiative reflects the administration's broader strategy to leverage federal funding and influence higher education policies while raising concerns over academic independence.

WASHINGTON – The Trump Administration is urging nine major universities to sign a new 'Compact for Academic Excellence' that aligns with its political priorities, promising favorable federal funding in return.

The universities were asked to endorse a number of policies concerning admissions, women's sports, free speech, and financial aid, among other issues. Compliance would grant these schools priority access to certain federal grants and opportunities to engage in discussions with White House officials.

The compact outlines that institutions must adopt the government’s definition of gender for facilities usage and require all undergraduate applicants to take standardized tests like the SAT or ACT while significantly limiting the consideration of race and gender in admissions.

The proposed agreement was sent to elite universities including Vanderbilt, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas, University of Arizona, Brown University, and University of Virginia. The specifics of how these institutions were selected remain unclear.

Notably, the compact also stipulates capping international enrollment at 15%, mandating tuition freezes for U.S. students for five years, and allowing wealthier schools to not charge tuition for students in hard sciences.

Critics argue that this move risks compromising academic independence, as schools may feel pressured to conform to government directives in exchange for financial support. Higher education leaders, including the Texas system, have expressed welcome to the potential funding advantages set by the compact.

Violators of the terms, according to the compact, face losing access to benefits for at least a year, raising further concerns about the enforcement of academic freedom.