In a move that could reshape the balance of power on US campuses, the White House has sent a document to nine major universities urging them to align with President Donald Trump ’s political priorities. The proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” promises substantial federal incentives in exchange for commitments on admissions, free speech, women’s sports, student discipline, and tuition policies.
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The letter, obtained by AP, frames the agreement as a proactive effort, describing the compact as a pathway to “multiple positive benefits,” including “substantial and meaningful federal grants” and “increased overhead payments where feasible.” Universities would be required to adopt the administration’s definition of gender for campus facilities and women’s sports teams, eliminate considerations of race, gender, and other demographics in admissions, and mandate SAT or ACT scores for undergraduates.
A selective invitation
The 10-page document was sent Wednesday to Vanderbilt, the University of Pennsylvania , Dartmouth , the University of Southern California , MIT , the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown, and the University of Virginia. How the White House chose these schools is not clear. The universities have been invited to provide feedback before the language is finalized and are expected to respond by November 21, 2025.
University officials expressed caution. A spokesperson for the University of Virginia told AP that there was “nothing to suggest why we were chosen.” In Texas, by contrast, officials welcomed the invitation. Kevin Eltife, chair of the University of Texas Board of Regents, said in a statement to AP, “Today we welcome the new opportunity presented to us and we look forward to working with the Trump Administration on it.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom took a sharply different stance. In an all-caps statement to AP, he warned that any university signing the compact could lose access to state funding, including Cal Grants, a $2.8 billion aid program. “We will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, researchers, and surrender academic freedom ,” Newsom said.
Incentives, caps, and conservative priorities
The compact represents a strategic shift. Unlike earlier actions that punished institutions for perceived liberal bias, this initiative offers financial rewards for compliance. Among its provisions, international student enrollment would be capped at 15% of undergraduates, with no more than 5% from any single country. For colleges exceeding these limits, compliance could require structural adjustments.
Universities would also have to ensure a “vibrant marketplace of ideas” on campus, preventing any ideology from dominating. The document outlines measures to evaluate student and faculty viewpoints and to “transform or abolish institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas,” according to AP. Policies are intended to limit protests that disrupt classes, libraries, or lectures.
The compact also includes financial stipulations. Institutions would freeze tuition for US students for five years, and those with endowments above $2 million per undergraduate could not charge tuition for students in “hard science” programs.
A Faustian bargain?
The proposal has drawn immediate criticism from university leaders and free speech advocates. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, told AP that the deal is a “Faustian bargain,” warning it undermines institutional independence and threatens free expression. Former Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Larry Summers told AP that it is “ill conceived and counterproductive,” adding that the administration’s approach could set back reforms rather than advance them.
Enforcement would fall to the Justice Department. Schools that violate the compact would lose access to its benefits for at least one year, with penalties extending to two years for repeat violations. The document notes, according to AP, that institutions “are free to develop models and values other than those below if the institution elects to forego federal benefits.”
The road ahead
As universities weigh the compact, the implications extend beyond funding. For higher education in America, the proposal raises questions about autonomy, academic freedom, and the role of ideology in shaping campus life. The Trump administration is signaling that loyalty to its priorities could carry tangible rewards, while resistance may come at a significant financial cost. For students, faculty, and administrators, the compact could redefine the terms of engagement on US campuses for years to come.
ALSO READ: Who is Marc Rowan? The billionaire pulling the strings in Trump’s deal for US colleges
The letter, obtained by AP, frames the agreement as a proactive effort, describing the compact as a pathway to “multiple positive benefits,” including “substantial and meaningful federal grants” and “increased overhead payments where feasible.” Universities would be required to adopt the administration’s definition of gender for campus facilities and women’s sports teams, eliminate considerations of race, gender, and other demographics in admissions, and mandate SAT or ACT scores for undergraduates.
A selective invitation
The 10-page document was sent Wednesday to Vanderbilt, the University of Pennsylvania , Dartmouth , the University of Southern California , MIT , the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown, and the University of Virginia. How the White House chose these schools is not clear. The universities have been invited to provide feedback before the language is finalized and are expected to respond by November 21, 2025.
University officials expressed caution. A spokesperson for the University of Virginia told AP that there was “nothing to suggest why we were chosen.” In Texas, by contrast, officials welcomed the invitation. Kevin Eltife, chair of the University of Texas Board of Regents, said in a statement to AP, “Today we welcome the new opportunity presented to us and we look forward to working with the Trump Administration on it.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom took a sharply different stance. In an all-caps statement to AP, he warned that any university signing the compact could lose access to state funding, including Cal Grants, a $2.8 billion aid program. “We will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, researchers, and surrender academic freedom ,” Newsom said.
Incentives, caps, and conservative priorities
The compact represents a strategic shift. Unlike earlier actions that punished institutions for perceived liberal bias, this initiative offers financial rewards for compliance. Among its provisions, international student enrollment would be capped at 15% of undergraduates, with no more than 5% from any single country. For colleges exceeding these limits, compliance could require structural adjustments.
Universities would also have to ensure a “vibrant marketplace of ideas” on campus, preventing any ideology from dominating. The document outlines measures to evaluate student and faculty viewpoints and to “transform or abolish institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas,” according to AP. Policies are intended to limit protests that disrupt classes, libraries, or lectures.
The compact also includes financial stipulations. Institutions would freeze tuition for US students for five years, and those with endowments above $2 million per undergraduate could not charge tuition for students in “hard science” programs.
A Faustian bargain?
The proposal has drawn immediate criticism from university leaders and free speech advocates. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, told AP that the deal is a “Faustian bargain,” warning it undermines institutional independence and threatens free expression. Former Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Larry Summers told AP that it is “ill conceived and counterproductive,” adding that the administration’s approach could set back reforms rather than advance them.
Enforcement would fall to the Justice Department. Schools that violate the compact would lose access to its benefits for at least one year, with penalties extending to two years for repeat violations. The document notes, according to AP, that institutions “are free to develop models and values other than those below if the institution elects to forego federal benefits.”
The road ahead
As universities weigh the compact, the implications extend beyond funding. For higher education in America, the proposal raises questions about autonomy, academic freedom, and the role of ideology in shaping campus life. The Trump administration is signaling that loyalty to its priorities could carry tangible rewards, while resistance may come at a significant financial cost. For students, faculty, and administrators, the compact could redefine the terms of engagement on US campuses for years to come.
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