Colleges weigh whether to sign onto Trump plan or forgo federal benefits

[Celerity]

A new proposal from the Trump administration would give colleges funding advantages if they adopt conservative priorities.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/10/03/trump-administration-college-funding-compact/

https://archive.ph/Ar05U



The Trump administration this week offered a select group of universities the opportunity to score priority access for federal funding, prompting an enthusiastic and swift response from a university leader in Texas, who called it “an honor.” But the other schools that received the 10-page proposal Wednesday night were largely silent Thursday, as they considered the wide-ranging conservative terms that some experts warned would trample on free-speech rights and threaten finances and academic freedom at top universities.

The Washington Post first reported this week that the White House intended to launch a campaign to bring colleges into compliance with Trump’s ideological priorities by offering a competitive advantage to those that sign on. The document sent to nine schools this week, titled “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” asks schools to pledge allegiance to conservative values and policies and appears to be a first step in that campaign. Administration officials said the agreement would compel schools to prioritize American students, education in the hard sciences and a culture that allows for conservative thought.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) threatened Thursday to yank billions of dollars’ worth of funding from any school in the state that signed onto the agreement, writing on social media that the state would not “BANKROLL SCHOOLS THAT SELL OUT THEIR STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, RESEARCHERS, AND SURRENDER ACADEMIC FREEDOM.” In a letter to the selected university presidents, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and two White House officials described the effort as one that would help the next generation “grow into resilient, curious, and moral leaders, inspired by American and Western values.”

While administration officials cast the agreement as a means to gain advantages for federal funding, some in higher education said it was unclear whether colleges would be signing up for benefits or risking those they already have. The introduction to the document says schools are free to develop models and values other than those in the compact, “if the institution elects to forego federal benefits.” A White House official on Thursday said the administration does not plan to limit federal funding solely to schools that sign the compact, “but they would be given priority for grants when possible as well as invitations for White House events and discussions with officials.”

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[bucolic_frolic]

1. What's a college degree worth when it's all propaganda?

[Bettie]

2. If they do this, they show that

they will do whatever they are told.

So, for now it's "conservative priorities".

Next it's "No more non-white faculty"

Then: "No more non-white or female students"

Sure, give this admin an inch. We all know that they won't demand that mile.

[MichMan]

3. There is a precedent with Hillsdale

At least Hillsdale took a principled stance and refused any Federal dollars. Even though they weren't getting any directly, they were then told that none of their students would be eligible for any government grants or any Federally backed student loans. Hillsdale said "Fine, we will fund them ourselves"

Trump hasn't even gone that far by barring grants and student loans to anyone attending like was done to Hillsdale.