The University of Arizona, on Monday, October 20, 2025, became the seventh major U.S. university to reject a Trump administration proposal that would have granted preferential access to federal funding in exchange for adopting a set of government-endorsed policies. The university cited academic freedom and institutional independence as key reasons for declining.
With the decision, Arizona joins Brown University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Southern California (USC), the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Virginia, and Dartmouth College, all of which had previously declined to participate.
Only Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas at Austin have yet to announce their positions on the proposal, which the administration had given a Monday deadline to accept.
A White House official confirmed to Reuters that none of the three universities — Arizona, Vanderbilt, or Texas — had “signed the compact yet.” The official added, “The administration is still listening to the feedback from the universities, so there is not a version ready for signature just yet.”
Foundational Principles ‘Must Be Preserved’
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump’s administration has clashed with what it views as liberal-leaning academic institutions, attempting to reshape federal higher education funding to align with its policies. The White House has revoked multimillion-dollar federal contracts with universities over issues such as pro-Palestinian campus protests, transgender inclusion, climate initiatives, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Although several of those cuts were later overturned by courts, the proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” marks a new strategy.
In a statement to the campus community, University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella acknowledged that while some recommendations merited discussion, others threatened the university’s core principles.
“A number of the proposed federal recommendations deserve thoughtful consideration as our national higher education system could benefit from reforms that have been much too slow to develop,” Garimella wrote.
“In fact, many of the proposed ideas are already in place at the U of A. At the same time, principles like academic freedom, merit-based research funding, and institutional independence are foundational and must be preserved.”
Garimella confirmed that the university “has not agreed to the terms outlined in the draft proposal,” but instead submitted to the U.S. Department of Education its own Statement of Principles, emphasizing merit-based hiring, academic freedom, and a commitment to admitting qualified Arizona residents and members of U.S. tribal nations.
Details of the White House Proposal
The White House’s 10-point memo, titled “A Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” proposed sweeping changes to university policy. It would require participating schools to limit international undergraduate enrollment to 15%, eliminate race and sex as factors in admissions and hiring, and define gender strictly based on biology.
The memo also called for universities to “transform or abolish institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas,” though it made no mention of protections for liberal viewpoints.
Additionally, the proposal urged institutions to recognize the Classic Learning Test (CLT) — a college entrance exam favored by some conservatives and already approved in Florida’s public university system — as an alternative to the SAT and ACT.
Under the plan, universities that refused to adopt these “models and values” could lose federal benefits, while those that complied could gain preferential access to funding.
According to the White House, additional institutions may later be invited to sign onto the compact once revisions are complete.
