Top US colleges asked to agree to tuition, admissions, and hiring rules for federal grants

In a move raising fresh concerns about academic freedom, the Trump administration has asked a group of the United States (US) colleges to agree to specific conditions to gain preferential access to federal funds, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal late Wednesday.

The request was detailed in a 10-point memo sent to an initial round of nine institutions.

The memorandum reportedly sets out wide-ranging requirements, including:

• Banning the use of race or sex in hiring and admissions
  
  

• Freezing tuition for five years
  
  

• Capping international undergraduate enrollment at 15 per cent
  
  

• Mandating that applicants take the SAT or an equivalent test
  
  

• Addressing grade inflation
  
  

The schools approached include Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, MIT, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown University, and the University of Virginia, according to the report.

Universities that comply would receive “multiple positive benefits,” including “substantial and meaningful federal grants,” the memo quoted by the Wall Street Journal said. May Mailman, senior adviser for special projects at the White House, told the newspaper that the administration hoped the schools would view the request as “reasonable.”

Context and concerns

Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut federal funding for universities over issues ranging from pro-Palestinian protests during the war in Gaza, transgender policies, and climate initiatives, to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Rights advocates have warned that the new directives may threaten free speech and academic freedom, arguing that the administration is attempting to steer universities toward alignment with the Republican president’s political agenda. Trump has publicly accused several universities of harboring “anti-American” values.

The letters were sent on Wednesday to solicit both agreement and feedback from the targeted institutions, The Wall Street Journal reported. The White House and the U.S. Department of Education did not immediately respond to requests for comment.