The Trump administration has proposed deals to nine universities that would give them an edge over other schools in receiving federal funding.
Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), Dartmouth College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Vanderbilt University, the University of Southern California (USC), the University of Texas at Austin (UT), the University of Virginia (UVA) and the University of Arizona were all sent contracts on Wednesday proposing terms such as a promise to stop racially discriminating in admissions and stop hiking tuition prices for five years in exchange for preferential treatment in accessing federal funds, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education agreement is meant to signal to the schools’ students and communities that they are committed to upholding free speech and a “vibrant marketplace of ideas on campus.”
The nine universities that received the proposals represent only the first round that will be invited to sign the agreement. They were specifically selected because the administration believes they are “good actors” who are open to change, according to WSJ.
The White House and Department of Education did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
A gate into Brown University’s campus on March 17, 2025 in Providence, Rhode Island. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
Universities that accept the deal will receive “multiple positive benefits,” such as “substantial and meaningful federal grants,” the memo promises, according to WSJ. While the grants provided to the universities will not be exclusive to them, schools signing the memo will be prioritized in grant decisions and will receive invitations for White House events and discussions with administration officials.
Other points in the agreement include capping international undergraduate enrollment at 15%, requiring students to present SAT scores for admission, tackling grade inflation, commit to institutional neutrality, hire an independent auditor to investigate the universities’ adherence to the agreement and shut down departments that “purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.” (RELATED: Reagan Appointed Judge Rules Trump Admin Deportations Over Anti-Israel Protests Unconstitutional)
Failure to adhere to the agreed-upon rules after signing the contract could result in universities being forced to return some of the grant money it received. Universities are not required to sign the agreement and will not be punished for declining; they will, however, forfeit the proposed benefits.
“Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than those” the memo states, according to WSJ.
Some of the universities that were offered the deal have previously been in the administration’s crosshairs. UPenn entered an agreement with the federal government in July after it was targeted for allowing a man to compete against and change in the same room as women. Brown reached a $50 million agreement with the administration later the same month after losing $510 million in grants for allegedly failing to address antisemitism and continuing to use illegal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
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