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Seven Universities Reject White House Higher-Ed Compact as Vanderbilt, UT Austin Still Weigh Options

The White House set a Nov. 21 signing goal following an Oct. 20 feedback window.

Overview

  • Seven of the nine initially contacted schools—Arizona, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, Penn, USC and Virginia—have publicly declined the offer tying policy commitments to preferential federal funding.
  • Vanderbilt said it was providing feedback and continuing dialogue without committing to a decision, while UT Austin signaled openness when the proposal was first circulated.
  • The administration expanded outreach to Arizona State University, the University of Kansas and Washington University in St. Louis after early refusals by the original group.
  • ASU confirmed it met with White House officials but said it has not received a compact offer, creating uncertainty over its status despite being named in expanded outreach.
  • The draft compact includes banning consideration of race and sex in admissions and hiring, capping international undergraduate enrollment at 15%, a five-year tuition freeze, defining gender by biology and restructuring campus units seen as hostile to conservative ideas.