Last Updated:
The Trump administration has proposed conditions for a funding boost for US colleges, including banning race or sex in hiring and capping foreign student enrollment.
US President Donald Trump (Image Credit: Reuters)
The Trump administration has used US colleges to sign a deal on certain terms in order to get preferential access to federal funds, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
As per Trump’s 10-point memo, the colleges have been asked to prohibit the use of race and sex in hiring and admission decisions, capping international undergraduate enrollment at 15%, freezing tuition for five years, requiring standardised testing, promoting a “politically neutral and open intellectual environment” and quelling grade inflation.
Recommended Stories
An initial round of nine schools was being asked to sign the wide-ranging accord, including MIT, Brown, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania, USC, University of Texas, and University of Arizona. The administration promised that schools that sign the deal would receive “substantial and meaningful federal grants” among other benefits.
The White House and the US Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This signals a broader push to make US colleges align more closely with the policies of the Trump administration.
May Mailman, senior adviser for special projects at the White House, told The Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration hoped the schools would see the step as “reasonable.”
Since taking office, Trump has threatened to cut federal funding for universities over a range of issues such as pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, transgender policies, climate initiatives and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Rights advocates in the US have raised free speech and academic freedom concerns over the Trump administration’s actions that they say are aimed at aligning universities with the Republican president’s political agenda. Trump has alleged the universities harbour “anti-American” values.
Trump has been pressuring colleges to reduce dependence on foreign students while adding new layers of scrutiny for foreign students as part of its crackdown on immigration.
Earlier, a report by Politico revealed that the Trump administration plans to halt federal funding of any organisation or government that supports work overseas related to gender identity or diversity, citing a US official and non-profit groups.
(with inputs from Reuters)
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
United States of America (USA)
October 02, 2025, 08:45 IST
Loading comments…
Read More
