Several institutions voice opposition to conditions proposed by the Trump administration
A number of U.S. universities have declined to sign the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, a proposal from former President Donald Trump’s administration that ties institutional commitments to political priorities in exchange for preferential access to federal funding.
The document, sent on October 1 to nine public and private universities, includes conditions such as barring transgender individuals from certain facilities and sports, freezing tuition for five years, limiting international student enrollment, and requiring standardized testing for admissions.
Institutional responses highlight disagreement over the compact’s terms
As of Sunday evening, six of the nine institutions indicated they would not sign the compact. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was the first to publicly state its position, emphasizing that the proposal “includes principles with which we disagree” and that scientific funding should be based solely on merit.
Following MIT’s statement, Trump announced that all colleges could opt into the compact, not just the original recipients. Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California subsequently issued their own rejections.
On Friday, the White House held a virtual meeting with universities that had not yet declined, including the University of Arizona, the University of Texas at Austin, Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Virginia, as well as three additional invited institutions.
Debate continues over academic independence and federal funding
After the meeting, both Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia confirmed they would not participate, citing the importance of merit-based funding and institutional autonomy.
The future of the compact remains uncertain. The White House has not issued an official statement on next steps, as the broader discussion about academic independence and political influence in higher education continues to unfold.
