Trump team courts more colleges after elite schools reject funding deal

White House officials last week held a virtual meeting with leaders from several U.S. universities to discuss the Trump administration’s proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, following a series of rejections from top institutions that signal limited support for the plan.

The administration invited seven universities to the meeting, including Arizona State University, University of Kansas, and Washington University in St. Louis, which had not received the initial proposal sent on October 1. Four other institutions — University of Arizona, Dartmouth College, Vanderbilt University, and University of Texas at Austin — were also called to join the conversation.

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According to a Bloomberg report, the University of Virginia took part in the meeting but declined to join the compact. It was not confirmed whether its rejection came before or after the discussion.

White House spokesperson Liz Huston described the meeting as “productive.”

“They now have the baton to consider, discuss, and propose meaningful reforms,” she said.

“These leaders are working steadfastly to improve higher education and have been invited to the table to share ideas with the Administration, and we look forward to discussing transparent ways that, together, we will produce future generations of American excellence,” Huston added.

The meeting was led by May Mailman, senior adviser on higher education policy, Vincent Haley, head of the Domestic Policy Council, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, sources told Bloomberg.

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Under the proposed compact, universities agreeing to the administration’s terms would receive preferential access to federal funding. In return, they must commit to measures such as banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, limiting international student intake, freezing tuition, and increasing conservative faculty hires.

The compact has faced growing opposition since its introduction earlier this month. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) became the first to reject it, followed by Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California. Some institutions have offered policy feedback but declined to sign.

Officials said the administration will revise the compact based on university feedback and circulate an updated version by November 21.

The proposal is part of the White House’s broader push to reshape U.S. higher education. The effort has included freezing billions in research grants and opening multiple civil rights investigations into campus discrimination and antisemitism allegations. While some universities — including Columbia, Penn, and Brown — have reached settlements to restore federal funding, Harvard University continues to resist and has pursued legal action against the administration.