Overview
- Penn and the University of Southern California declined the offer on Oct. 16, following MIT on Oct. 10 and Brown on Oct. 15, bringing the number of public rejections to four.
- The 10-point compact links preferential access to federal grants to sweeping changes that include ending consideration of race and sex in admissions and hiring, banning transgender women from women’s teams and facilities, capping international enrollment, and imposing a five-year tuition freeze.
- The White House opened the invitation to all colleges via a Truth Social post, yet the document lacks detailed terms for the promised funding advantages and raises questions about enforcement.
- Brown’s letter pointed to its July agreement with the administration that restored research funding while affirming government noninterference in curriculum and academic speech, protections not present in the new compact.
- Several originally invited schools say they are reviewing the proposal, with the University of Texas system signaling openness, the University of Virginia forming a working group, and California’s governor warning he could withhold state funds from campuses that sign.