White House calls on universities to agree to demands for expanded access to federal funding

Reuters

White House Sets Hiring Foreign Enrolment Terms Colleges Get Funding Advantage 2025 10 02

The Trump administration Wednesday sent letters to nine universities proposing a 10-point compact that would provide priority access to federal grants and White House events in exchange for agreeing to specific operating principles.

The New York Times

Newsmax

The Trump administration Wednesday sent letters to nine universities proposing a 10-point compact that would provide priority access to federal grants and White House events in exchange for agreeing to specific operating principles.

The compact requires universities to ban race or sex considerations in hiring and admissions, freeze tuition for five years, limit international undergraduate enrollment to 15% and require standardized testing for applicants.

The New Republic

The Wall Street Journal

The compact requires universities to ban race or sex considerations in hiring and admissions, freeze tuition for five years, limit international undergraduate enrollment to 15% and require standardized testing for applicants.

In addition, the compact urges universities to ensure a "vibrant marketplace of ideas" and abolish departments that purposefully punish, belittle or spark violence against conservative ideas.

In addition, the compact urges universities to ensure a "vibrant marketplace of ideas" and abolish departments that purposefully punish, belittle or spark violence against conservative ideas.

Universities that sign the compact and later violate its terms could be forced to return any federal money received that year, as well as private contributions. Compliance would be monitored through anonymous polling and Justice Department review.

The Washington Examiner

Universities that sign the compact and later violate its terms could be forced to return any federal money received that year, as well as private contributions. Compliance would be monitored through anonymous polling and Justice Department review.

Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, MIT, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Arizona, Brown University and the University of Virginia all received the letter.

The Hill

The Daily Beast

Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, MIT, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Arizona, Brown University and the University of Virginia all received the letter.

CNN #0

Reuters #0

The New York Times #

Newsmax #

Reuters #

The New Republic #

The Wall Street Journal #

CNN #

The nine schools contacted include Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, MIT, University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, Brown University and University of Virginia.</span

The Daily Beast #

The Hill #

The nine schools contacted include Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, MIT, University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, Brown University and University of Virginia.

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, expressed concern about the compact, stating the implications for free speech are horrifying and describing it as an unprecedented power play by the federal government.</span

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, expressed concern about the compact, stating the implications for free speech are horrifying and describing it as an unprecedented power play by the federal government.

Universities that sign the compact and later violate its terms could be forced to return any federal money received that year as well as private contributions, with compliance monitored through anonymous polling and Justice Department review.</span

The Washington Examiner #

Universities that sign the compact and later violate its terms could be forced to return any federal money received that year as well as private contributions, with compliance monitored through anonymous polling and Justice Department review.

Trump's compact offers universities a reasonable path to excellence by demanding colorblind admissions, frozen tuition and vibrant campus debate. Schools can finally prioritize merit over woke ideology while receiving substantial federal grants for upholding basic academic standards. This initiative restores fairness to higher education.

Trump's compact offers universities a reasonable path to excellence by demanding colorblind admissions, frozen tuition and vibrant campus debate. Schools can finally prioritize merit over woke ideology while receiving substantial federal grants for upholding basic academic standards. This initiative restores fairness to higher education.</span

1228745

Trump's compact represents authoritarian overreach that weaponizes federal funding to silence academic freedom and crush dissent. The administration dangles grants to force universities into abandoning diversity while eliminating entire departments that challenge conservative ideology. This crackdown threatens free speech on campuses nationwide.

Trump's compact represents authoritarian overreach that weaponizes federal funding to silence academic freedom and crush dissent. The administration dangles grants to force universities into abandoning diversity while eliminating entire departments that challenge conservative ideology. This crackdown threatens free speech on campuses nationwide.</span

Trump Holds University Funding Hostage Unless They Meet His Demands

Trump Offers 9 Universities Federal Grants for Signing Compact

Trump Offers 9 Universities Federal Grants for Signing Compact

Colleges & universities

United States of America

This compact will offer universities a reasonable path to excellence by demanding colorblind admissions, frozen tuition and vibrant campus debate. Schools can finally prioritize merit over woke ideology while receiving substantial federal grants for upholding basic academic standards.

This compact will offer universities a reasonable path to excellence by demanding colorblind admissions, frozen tuition and vibrant campus debate. Schools can finally prioritize merit over woke ideology while receiving substantial federal grants for upholding basic academic standards.

This is authoritarian overreach, weaponizing federal funding to silence academic freedom and crush dissent. The administration is dangling federal grants to force universities into abandoning diversity while eliminating entire departments that challenge conservative ideology.

This is authoritarian overreach, weaponizing federal funding to silence academic freedom and crush dissent. The administration is dangling federal grants to force universities into abandoning diversity while eliminating entire departments that challenge conservative ideology.

Trump Offers 9 Universities Federal Grants for Signing Compact

Trump Offers 9 Universities Federal Grants for Signing Compact

The Spin

Articles on this story

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Trump Offers 9 Universities Federal Grants for Signing Compact

Trump Offers 9 Universities Federal Grants for Signing Compact

The Spin

Articles on this story

Sign Up for Our Free NewslettersSign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters