The Trump administration has extended an invitation to a group of universities to join a new agreement tied to federal education funding, The New York Times reports. Under the plan, institutions would receive favorable treatment for government grants if they accept a list of demands.
Those conditions include capping international student enrollment, requiring admissions exams, limiting grade inflation, and removing considerations of race or sex in admissions and hiring. Universities with large endowments would also be asked to waive tuition for students pursuing studies in hard science fields.
According to the outlet, the administration has approached nine institutions, including the University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Virginia.
Some universities have said they are reviewing the proposal. Kevin Eltife, chairman of the University of Texas Board of Regents, expressed interest, noting the agreement aligns with certain state education policies already in place, as The New York Times notes.
“Higher education has been at a crossroads in recent years,” Eltife stated. He added that Texas leaders had executed “sweeping changes for the benefit of our students and to strengthen our institutions to best serve the people of Texas.”
Other education leaders raised concerns. Faculty groups such as the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors described the plan as a potential threat to academic freedom. Free speech organizations, like Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), also questioned whether requirements for monitoring speech could conflict with First Amendment protections.
“A government that can reward colleges and universities for speech it favors today can punish them for speech it dislikes tomorrow,” Tyler Coward, FIRE’s lead counsel for government affairs, told the outlet. “That’s not reform. That’s government-funded orthodoxy.”
State officials are also weighing in. According to The New York Times, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state would cut funding for any California university that accepts the deal, citing risks to student and faculty independence.
The compact comes as part of a broader push by the administration to reshape education policy outside of Congress, the outlet notes. Similar agreements have been used to influence school systems into alignment with parts of Trump’s agenda, including prioritizing funding for programs such as artificial intelligence training and eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, according to a report from the White House.
Universities are still reviewing the offer, and it remains unclear how many, if any, will agree to the administration’s terms.
