Trump’s Higher Ed Deal Rejected by Top Universities/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The White House convened university leaders Friday to discuss President Trump’s proposed higher education compact, but no schools have committed. The compact offers favorable funding in exchange for conservative-aligned policy changes. Key institutions, including the University of Virginia and MIT, have already rejected the deal.
Trump Education Plan Stalls: Quick Looks
- No universities have signed Trump’s higher education compact so far.
- The compact links federal funding to policy changes aligning with Trump’s agenda.
- UVA became the fifth school to formally decline the offer.
- Schools asked to eliminate race/gender in admissions and adopt “institutional neutrality.”
- Education Secretary Linda McMahon held a call with hesitant university leaders Friday.
- Compact criticized by students, faculty, and Democratic politicians.
- Over 30 higher education groups formally opposed the proposal.
- MIT, Brown, USC, and UPenn have also rejected the compact.
- Compact lacks protections for academic freedom, a major sticking point.
- Harvard previously had funding cut over defiance; a judge later reversed it.
White House Struggles to Sell Trump’s Higher Ed Compact: Deep Look
WASHINGTON — A week ahead of its feedback deadline, the Trump administration’s proposed higher education compact continues to face stiff resistance, with no universities yet agreeing to sign on. On Friday, the White House convened a virtual meeting with leaders from five remaining universities that are still weighing the agreement. By the end of the day, the University of Virginia had formally declined.
The compact, spearheaded by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, offers federal research funding and other benefits in exchange for adherence to a 10-page list of policy commitments aligned with President Trump’s political and cultural agenda. The administration hopes to reshape academia without legislation — but so far, it’s struggling to find willing partners.
In a post on X, McMahon called the meeting “an important step toward defining a shared vision,” emphasizing the need to uphold “time-honored principles” that made American universities globally respected. But behind the scenes, many academic leaders are wary.
The five schools invited to Friday’s call were Dartmouth College, University of Arizona, University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, and University of Virginia. Only UVA confirmed its position afterward, releasing a letter from interim president Paul Mahoney rejecting the offer.
“Providing federal money based on anything but merit would undermine the integrity of research and further erode public confidence in higher education,” Mahoney wrote.
That makes UVA the fifth school to publicly decline, joining MIT, Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California.
What the Compact Demands
The document calls on universities to:
- Eliminate race and sex from admissions decisions
- Accept the government’s binary definition of gender
- Promote conservative viewpoints
- Maintain “institutional neutrality” on current political and social issues
In return, universities are promised “positive benefits,” including preferential access to federal research funds — though no specific programs are detailed.
The administration has framed the offer as voluntary but warned: “Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than those below, if the institution elects to forego federal benefits.”
Backlash Grows
Despite the offer of financial incentive, opposition is mounting across academia. Over 30 higher education associations, led by the American Council on Education, released a joint statement Friday condemning the plan.
“The compact is a step in the wrong direction,” the coalition declared, warning that it would give the federal government unprecedented control over academic operations and chill free speech on campuses.
Students and faculty at schools still on the fence are also expressing concern. At Vanderbilt University, postdoctoral researcher Marjolein Mues said the compact feels like “a first hook” to deeper interference in research priorities and academic freedom.
“My major concern is… once universities agree to this, the terms will change,” Mues said.
Political Repercussions
The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic officials. California Governor Gavin Newsom and Virginia Democrats have both threatened to cut state funding for any institution that accepts the deal. They accuse the administration of politicizing education and pushing authoritarian control over curriculum and policy.
The compact follows a series of confrontations between the Trump administration and elite universities. Harvard became a top target last year when it refused federal demands on admissions and campus policies. The White House responded by cutting billions in research funding and terminating contracts. However, a federal judge later ruled the cuts unconstitutional.
A Pattern of Pressure
The Trump administration has leveraged federal funding as a tool to force compliance from universities in several recent enforcement actions. Agreements with Brown and Columbia resolved separate investigations and restored funding, but those deals included clauses protecting academic freedom — a protection notably missing from the compact now under review.
Moreover, several top universities — including Harvard — have had research funding frozen amid probes into alleged antisemitism, drawing criticism from civil rights groups and political leaders alike.
In a Truth Social post Sunday, President Trump touted the compact as the beginning of a “Golden Age of Academic Excellence,” declaring it would reclaim higher education from “WOKE, SOCIALIST, and ANTI-AMERICAN Ideology.”
What Comes Next
With the October 20 deadline looming, it remains unclear whether any university will ultimately accept the offer. Institutions may fear political retaliation, but they also risk ceding academic independence if they agree.
For now, the Biden-era approach to higher education — which emphasized DEI initiatives and broader access — continues to be rolled back, while Trump pushes to realign the sector with his policy vision.
Universities are walking a delicate line: weighing the promise of federal funding against the threat to institutional autonomy.
Whether any school will bite remains an open question. But for now, Trump’s plan to remake academia has no takers.
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