The White House has asked nine higher ed institutions to sign an agreement: uphold the Trump administration’s higher ed priorities, and receive “multiple positive benefits” including “substantial and meaningful federal grants.”

Outlined in a nine-page memo titled the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” some of the Trump administration’s terms include:

  • Freeze tuition rates for five years
  • Ban the use of race and sex in hiring and admissions
  • Cap international undergraduate enrollment at 15% of the student body
  • Require applicants to submit standardized test scores (e.g., SAT, ACT, Classic Learning Test)

The Trump administration also demands the universities create a more welcoming atmosphere for conservatives and conservative thought on campus. Institutions who sign on must ban employees from making political statements on behalf of their employee, make governance changes, and overhaul or eliminate departments that “purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.” [The Chronicle of Higher Education, subscription model]

Reactions to the compact have been mixed. UT System Board of Regents Chair Kevin Eltife shared with The Texas Tribune: “We enthusiastically look forward to engaging with university officials and reviewing the compact immediately.”

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged institutions to not sign the compact:

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, weighed in: “Who decides if the intellectual environment is vigorous and open-ended? This is not something the federal government should be involved in and adjudicating.”

According to the American Enterprise Institute’s Rick Hess, the terms aren’t the concern; rather, the problem lies in the Trump administration’s approach. He said, “Do we really want to wind up with each successive administration blasting out fast-pass conditions for federal research funds and federal aid?” [The Wall Street Journal, subscription model]

What’s Next

The schools that received the initial invitation—the University of Arizona, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, UT-Austin, UVA, and Vanderbilt—will be allowed to submit comments on the memo until October 20. Schools that are aligned with the Trump administration’s terms will be invited to the White House to formalize their involvement in the compact by November 21. It is unclear whether or not this offer will be made to other institutions.

Why it Matters

The compact represents the latest attempt by the Trump administration to bend the American higher education system to its will, leveraging federal funding to compel institutions to subscribe to President Trump’s ideals. This move also comes off the back of high-profile, multi-million dollar settlements with Columbia and Brown earlier this year, which required that the institutions meet some similar terms to restore their federal funding. [NPR]

This article is sourced from Whiteboard Notes, our weekly newsletter of the latest education policy and industry news read by thousands of education leaders, investors, grantmakers, and entrepreneurs. Subscribe here.