Universities Reject Trump Administration’s Funding Compact Over Policy Demands

A majority of universities presented with a funding agreement requiring adherence to specific political priorities, including restrictions on transgender student policies and standardized testing requirements, have indicated they will not sign the compact.

The “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” was initially offered to nine colleges on October 1st, outlining conditions for preferential access to federal funds. Among the stipulations were barring transgender students from participating in sports or using restrooms aligning with their gender identity, freezing tuition for five years, and limiting international student enrollment. As of yesterday, six of the original nine institutions have publicly stated they will not participate.

MIT was the first to respond, with President Sally Kornbluth writing to Education Secretary Linda McMahon on October 10th, stating the document “includes principles with which we disagree” and that the premise was “inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.” Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California followed with similar rejections. More recently, the University of Virginia and Dartmouth College also announced they would not sign, with UVA’s interim president, Paul Mahoney, stating the university wanted “no special treatment” and that a contractual arrangement based on anything other than merit would “undermine the integrity of vital research.” This comes as the administration has increasingly scrutinized higher education funding, with some seeing this compact as a way to exert greater control over university policies. Inside Higher Ed provides further details on the compact’s stipulations.

Following a virtual meeting with college leaders on Friday, Education Secretary McMahon stated on X that attendees had a “positive and wide-ranging conversation about the Compact.” However, the administration has previously canceled billions in federal research grants since taking office, citing concerns over issues like transgender policies and diversity initiatives. The American Civil Liberties Union has been a vocal critic of these actions. The White House did not respond to requests for comment regarding the future of the compact, citing staffing shortages due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Officials indicated continued discussions are expected in the coming weeks, despite the growing number of rejections.