The US President Donald Trump administration offers the “Compact” to all its colleges and universities, from grade nine and above, to excellence in higher education. The Compact promises special funding for excellence for certain policy changes that tie federal funding to restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and strict limits on international enrollment.
The day after the matter was confirmed, the agreement was initially circulated among nine leading universities and is now being offered nationwide. But after a few days of its discussion, the MIT rejected the funding proposal by saying the unease in academic circles, with administrators warning that the plan could deepen financial divisions between the institutions and impose unprecedented political oversight on campus administration.
Donald Trump posted on social media that the compact’s reported expansion, mentioning “Higher Education has lost its way, and is now corrupting our Youth and Society with WOKE, SOCIALIST, and ANTI-AMERICAN Ideology.” Trump also posted on Truth Social on Sunday that “My Administration is fixing this, and FAST, with our Great Reform Agenda in Higher Education.”
Preferential Funding in Exchange for Compliance
As per the policies of the compact, the universities that agree to its conditions would gain preferential access to federal research and grant funding. In return, they must attach to a set of broad requirements, including eliminating DEI offices, freezing the tuition fees for five years, and rounding off international undergraduate students at 15% of total enrollment, with no more than 5% from any country.
Why MIT rejected the Compact
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was the first to reject the proposal completely, saying that “fundamentally inconsistent” with its values. In a public statement, MIT emphasized that “scientific funding should be awarded solely based on scientific merit,” a clear critique of federal efforts perceived as ideological interference.
According to the PIE Network, White House spokeswoman Liz Huston responded to MIT’s refusal by stating, "Any university that turns down this unparalleled chance to revolutionize higher education is failing its students and their families – instead, they’re yielding to radical, left-wing officials."
While the other eight universities that received the proposal have yet to provide detailed comments, the University of Texas System chair expressed support, calling the offer an “honour.” Other institutions have remained neutral, saying they are still “evaluating” the agreement.
