Trump asks 9 colleges to commit to his political agenda and get favorable access to federal money

WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House is asking nine major universities to commit to President Donald Trump’s political priorities in exchange for more favorable access to federal money.

Universities were asked to sign a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” committing them to adopt the White House’s vision for America’s campuses. It asks the schools to accept the government’s priorities on admissions, women’s sports, free speech, student discipline and college affordability, among other topics.

Signing on would give universities priority access to some federal grants, but government money would not be limited solely to those schools, according to a White House official who was not authorized to publicly discuss the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity. Colleges that agree would also have priority access to White House events and discussions with officials.

The compact, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, asks universities to accept the government’s definition of gender and apply it to campus bathrooms, locker rooms and women’s sports teams. It asks colleges to stop considering race, gender and a wide range of other student demographics in the admissions process and to require undergraduate applicants to take the SAT or ACT.

The 10-page proposed agreement was sent Wednesday to some of the most selective public and private universities: Vanderbilt, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, the University of Southern California, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown University and the University of Virginia. It was not clear how these schools were selected or why, and whether similar offers might go out to other colleges.

Leaders of the Texas system were “honored” that the Austin campus was chosen to be a part of the compact and its “potential funding advantages,” according to a statement from Kevin Eltife, chair of the Board of Regents. “Today we welcome the new opportunity presented to us and we look forward to working with the Trump Administration on it,” Eltife said.

Representatives from the other colleges did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The administration has used its control of federal funding as leverage at several other colleges, cutting off research money at schools including Harvard and Columbia as it has sought changes to the schools’ governance and policies.

Under the compact, international enrollment would have to be capped at 15% of a college’s undergraduate student body – many elite schools are now above that – and no more than 5% could come from a single country.

Schools that sign on would have to cap tuition for U.S. students for five years and the wealthiest campuses would not charge tuition at all for students pursuing “hard science programs.”

On free speech, schools would have to commit to promoting a wide range of views on campus. That includes “transforming or abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas,” according to the compact.

Each school would have to commission an annual poll of students and faculty to evaluate the campuses’ adherence to the pact. The terms would be enforced by the Justice Department, with violators losing access to the compact’s benefits for no less than a year. Following violations bump the penalty to two years.

“Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than those below,” the compact said, “if the institution elects to forego federal benefits.”

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