The Trump administration has significantly expanded its controversial higher education initiative, the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” now extending it to every college and university across the United States. This policy aims to link federal funding directly to institutional compliance, demanding a ban on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and imposing strict limitations on international student admissions.
Sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that this agreement, initially shared with a select group of nine prominent universities, is now being distributed to institutions nationwide. This move has sparked considerable apprehension within the academic community. University administrators are concerned that the compact could deepen existing financial disparities among schools and introduce an unprecedented level of political interference into how campuses are run.
Preferential Funding for Compliance
Under the terms of this compact, universities that accept its conditions would receive privileged access to federal research grants and other funding. In exchange, these institutions must agree to a set of comprehensive requirements: they must eliminate all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices, commit to a five-year tuition fee freeze, and restrict international undergraduate student enrollment to a maximum of 15% of their total student body, with no more than 5% coming from any single country.
Furthermore, the compact demands that participating institutions provide international student data to the government whenever requested. They are also required to dissolve any campus units perceived as “punishing or belittling” conservative perspectives. A highly controversial clause also prohibits political speech or activism by university employees, a restriction that legal scholars contend could directly clash with constitutional safeguards for free expression.
MIT Rejects the Compact
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was the first institution to unequivocally reject this proposal, labeling it “fundamentally inconsistent” with its core principles. In a firm public statement, MIT declared that “scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.” This declaration is broadly seen as a direct challenge to the federal government’s perceived efforts to impose ideological conditions on academic institutions.
Meanwhile, the other eight universities that initially received the proposal, which reportedly include several major public university systems, have largely remained silent or offered non-committal responses. The University of Texas System chair expressed enthusiastic support, describing the invitation as an “honor.” Other institutions, however, issued cautious statements, indicating they were still “reviewing” the complex terms of the compact.