MIT Rejects Trump Administration’s Federal Funding Deal Over Academic Freedom Concerns
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has formally rejected a proposed agreement from the Trump administration that would have granted preferential access to federal funds in exchange for adopting restrictive policies on campus governance, admissions, and free speech.
In a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, MIT President Sally Kornbluth stated that the proposal, titled the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” would “restrict freedom of expression” and undermine the university’s independence. Kornbluth emphasized that the compact’s terms were “inconsistent with MIT’s core values” and with the belief that scientific funding should be based on merit alone.
The proposal, circulated to several elite universities — including Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Texas — outlined a series of politically charged requirements. Among them were:
- Capping foreign undergraduate admissions at 15%, with no more than 5% from any single country.
- Mandating universities to screen foreign students for hostility toward the U.S. and report disciplinary records to federal authorities.
- Requiring schools to commit to using lawful force if necessary to prevent or respond to campus protests.
- Adopting a binary definition of gender and restricting university leaders from making political statements.
- Tying federal and private funding to compliance — with penalties requiring schools to return funds if any condition was violated.
The administration argued that the compact would promote “academic excellence and ideological balance,” but university leaders said it amounted to political interference in higher education. Kornbluth wrote, “We freely choose these values because they’re right, and we live by them because they support our mission.” She added that MIT already uses standardized testing and actively supports free expression without federal mandates.
MIT’s rejection follows previous clashes with the Trump administration. Earlier this year, the university joined other institutions in a lawsuit over cuts to federal health research funding, and it has supported Harvard University’s legal challenge to similar funding reductions.
The Education Department also reportedly approached Dartmouth College, Vanderbilt University, University of Southern California, University of Arizona, and University of Virginia with the same proposal.
The backlash has extended to state governments as well. California Governor Gavin Newsom warned that any university in his state accepting the deal would lose access to state funding, including Cal Grants. “California will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, and surrender academic freedom,” Newsom said.
Kornbluth concluded her letter by reaffirming MIT’s stance: “America’s leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence… Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.”
