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WASHINGTON, D.C.: The White House is pressuring nine major universities to sign onto President Donald Trump’s political priorities in return for more favorable access to federal funding.

A 10-page document, called the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” was sent this week to Vanderbilt, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, USC, MIT, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown, and the University of Virginia. The letter said these schools could become “initial signatories” if they agree by November 21.

The compact would require universities to accept the government’s definition of gender in bathrooms, locker rooms, and women’s sports, stop considering race or gender in admissions, and mandate standardized test requirements. In return, the White House promises “substantial and meaningful” grants and increased overhead payments.

The plan reflects a shift in Trump’s strategy: offering rewards for compliance rather than punishments. Previously, his administration cut billions in federal funding for schools accused of liberal bias, a move partially blocked by courts.

Universities offered cautious responses. UVA’s interim president convened a team to review the letter, while Texas regents called the invitation an “honor” and welcomed the potential funding. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, however, threatened to strip state funding from any institution in California that signs, saying the state “will not bankroll schools that sell out academic freedom.”

The proposal caps international enrollment at 15 percent of undergraduates, with no more than 5 percent from one country. Most of the nine schools fall within that limit, though Dartmouth and USC are close. Nationwide, about 120 schools, including Columbia and Boston University, exceed the cap.

The deal also demands that U.S. tuition be frozen for five years. Schools with endowments exceeding US$2 million per student would be barred from charging tuition for “hard science” majors.

The compact calls for campuses to be a “vibrant marketplace of ideas,” requiring universities to ensure ideological diversity among faculty and departments. It demands steps to counter protests, including preventing disruptions to classes and libraries and stopping demonstrators from heckling peers. Universities would also need to dismantle or reform units that are seen as hostile to conservative views.

Higher education leaders and free speech advocates denounced the plan as political overreach. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, warned universities against accepting what he called a “Faustian bargain.”

Larry Summers, former Treasury secretary and Harvard president, said that while universities need reform, Trump’s approach is “like trying to fix a watch with a hammer — ill-conceived and counterproductive.”

Violations of the compact would be enforced by the Justice Department, with penalties of at least a year without benefits.

“Institutions are free to choose other models,” the compact says, “if they elect to forego federal benefits.”