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By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology became the first university to turn down a proposed deal offering favorable access to federal funding in return for the backing of the the Donald Trump administration's higher education agenda.
In a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Friday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said the proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” would limit freedom of expression and undermine the university’s independence. She argued that the plan was inconsistent with MIT’s belief that “scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
“In our view, America’s leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence,” Kornbluth wrote. “The people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences. Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.”
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Why It Matters
MIT’s rejection of the compact is the first major pushback from a leading university against what critics see as federal overreach into academic governance. By refusing to sign, MIT has set a precedent that could influence how other institutions respond to the Trump administration’s effort to link funding and policy compliance.
The compact marks the latest effort by President Trump to reshape higher education, institutions he has long criticized as “bastions of liberalism.” It follows earlier clashes with UCLA, where the administration imposed a $1.2 billion fine for alleged civil rights violations and threatened to withhold federal research money.
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What To Know
The “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” was sent to nine universities and would require them to cap international student enrollment at 15 percent of undergraduates. It would also mandate a five-year tuition freeze, require institutions to adopt federal definitions of gender. In addition, the compact prohibits policies or programs that “belittle” conservative ideas.
The other eight universities invited to join are the University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Virginia.
According to the letter sent to university leaders, schools that sign on will receive “multiple positive benefits,” including “substantial and meaningful federal grants.”
In a letter on Friday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said the university already meets many of the compact’s stated goals, including rewarding merit through mandatory entrance exams and promoting free expression.
Meanwhile, Brown University President Christina Paxson said in a message on Friday: “Brown’s course of action should and will be informed by the perspectives of our community.”
At the University of Virginia, leaders said that “it would be difficult for the University to agree to certain provisions in the Compact,” adding that their response “will be guided by the same principles of academic freedom and free inquiry that Thomas Jefferson placed at the center of the University’s mission more than 200 years ago.”
Dartmouth College President Sian Beilock wrote that she is “deeply committed to Dartmouth’s academic mission and values and will always defend our fierce independence.”
University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson took a similar approach, writing, “The long-standing partnership with the federal government in both education and research has yielded tremendous benefits for our nation.” He added, “Penn seeks no special consideration. We strive to be supported based on the excellence of our work, our scholars and students, and the programs and services we provide to our neighbors and to the world.”
The University of Texas System appeared to offer the strongest endorsement. “We enthusiastically look forward to engaging with university officials and reviewing the compact immediately,” said Kevin Eltife, chairman of the Board of Regents. He added that UT was “honored” to be among the first invited and that “higher education has been at a crossroads in recent years.”
The White House has argued that the compact will bolster free speech on campus by protecting conservative viewpoints and redirecting funding toward the sciences. Supporters in Texas have praised it as a “new opportunity” for their universities.
In his second term, President Trump has sought to force change and cut federal funding at universities he claims have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. Harvard University has borne the brunt of the administration’s crackdown: the White House canceled about $100 million in federal contracts, froze $3.2 billion in research funding, and attempted to block the university from enrolling international students. Officials also demanded reforms to admissions and oversight of course content and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status—measures that sparked protests on campus and drew comparisons to Cold War-era loyalty tests.
What People Are Saying
White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said in a statement: “Any university that refuses this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform higher education isn’t serving its students or their parents—they’re bowing to radical, left-wing bureaucrats.
“The best science can’t thrive in institutions that have abandoned merit, free inquiry, and the pursuit of truth. President Trump encourages universities to join us in restoring academic excellence and common sense policies.”
Todd Wolfson, president of The American Association of University Professors, told the New York Times: “The ability to teach and study freely is the bedrock of American higher education. We applaud M.I.T. for standing up for academic freedom and institutional autonomy rejecting Trump’s ‘loyalty oath’ compact. We urge all institutions targeted by the administration’s bribery attempt to do the same.”
What Happens Next
The White House has said it wants responses from the universities by October 20.
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