{"id":22266,"date":"2025-10-02T09:58:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T16:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/trump-asks-usc-other-colleges-to-commit-to-his-political-agenda-for-favorable-access-to-federal-money\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T09:58:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T16:58:03","slug":"trump-asks-usc-other-colleges-to-commit-to-his-political-agenda-for-favorable-access-to-federal-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/trump-asks-usc-other-colleges-to-commit-to-his-political-agenda-for-favorable-access-to-federal-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump asks USC, other colleges to commit to his political agenda for favorable access to federal money"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Compact<\/h2>\n

The White House is asking nine major universities, including the University of Southern California, to commit to President Trump\u2019s political priorities in exchange for more favorable access to federal money. Universities were asked to sign a \u201cCompact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education\u201d committing them to adopt the White House\u2019s vision for America\u2019s campuses.<\/p>\n

Details of the Compact<\/h2>\n

The compact asks the schools to accept the government\u2019s priorities on admissions, women\u2019s sports, free speech, student discipline, and college affordability, among other topics. Signing on would give universities priority access to some federal grants, but government money would not be limited solely to those schools, according to a White House official who was not authorized to publicly discuss the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity. Colleges that agree would also have priority access to White House events and discussions with officials.<\/p>\n

Specific Requirements of the Compact<\/h2>\n

The compact, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, asks universities to accept the government\u2019s definition of gender and apply it to campus bathrooms, locker rooms, and women\u2019s sports teams. It asks colleges to stop considering race, gender, and a wide range of other student demographics in the admissions process and to require undergraduate applicants to take the SAT or ACT.<\/p>\n

Participating Universities<\/h2>\n

The 10-page proposed agreement was sent Wednesday to some of the most selective public and private universities: Vanderbilt, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, the University of Southern California, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown University, and the University of Virginia. It was not clear how these schools were selected or why, and whether similar offers might go out to other colleges.<\/p>\n

Reaction from Universities<\/h2>\n

Leaders of the Texas system were \u201chonored\u201d that the Austin campus was chosen to be a part of the compact and its \u201cpotential funding advantages,\u201d according to a statement from Kevin Eltife, chair of the Board of Regents. \u201cToday we welcome the new opportunity presented to us and we look forward to working with the Trump Administration on it,\u201d Eltife said. Representatives from the other colleges did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

Enforcement and Benefits<\/h2>\n

Under the compact, international enrollment would have to be capped at 15% of a college\u2019s undergraduate student body \u2014 many elite schools are now above that \u2014 and no more than 5% could come from a single country. Schools that sign on would have to cap tuition for U.S. students for five years and the wealthiest campuses would not charge tuition at all for students pursuing \u201chard science programs.\u201d Each school would have to commission an annual poll of students and faculty to evaluate the campuses\u2019 adherence to the pact. The terms would be enforced by the Justice Department, with violators losing access to the compact\u2019s benefits for no less than a year. Following violations bump the penalty to two years.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

The compact represents a significant effort by the Trump administration to shape the policies and priorities of the nation\u2019s top universities. By offering favorable access to federal funding and other benefits, the administration hopes to encourage universities to adopt its vision for higher education. However, the compact\u2019s requirements may be seen as restrictive or intrusive by some universities, and it remains to be seen how many will choose to participate.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n