Brown University Aligns with MIT in Rejecting Trump’s Funding Deal
By Staff, Agencies
Brown University has refused to sign a White House agreement offering preferential funding in exchange for policy changes, becoming the second major US university to reject President Trump's Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.
In a letter sent Wednesday to administration officials, Brown President Christina Paxson said the compact “by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance.”
Paxson’s stance echoes that of Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT] President Sally Kornbluth, who last week became the first university leader to reject the Trump administration’s proposal.
Kornbluth argued that the compact’s conditions “undermine the principle that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
The Trump administration’s compact, first sent to nine elite universities on October 1, ties enhanced federal funding to the adoption of conservative-aligned policies.
These include banning the use of race or sex in hiring and admissions, restricting international undergraduate enrollment to 15%, and eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion [DEI] programs.
The White House has described the initiative as a step toward restoring “ideological balance” and “patriotic education” in higher learning.
However, universities and civil rights advocates warn it represents a dangerous precedent, turning federal education funding into a political instrument.
Paxson wrote that the Compact "would directly violate the assurances made in our July agreement," which prohibited federal interference in Brown’s curriculum, following a deal that restored millions in research grants in exchange for workforce investments in Rhode Island.
The Trump administration has not responded to Brown's letter. Officials had warned that institutions rejecting the compact might face investigations, but it's unclear if student aid or research eligibility will be impacted.
The compact was sent to nine universities, including MIT and Brown. The other seven have not yet announced their decisions, though discussions are ongoing.
MIT’s October 10 rejection was the first major defiance of Trump’s attempt to influence university governance, amid broader efforts to target liberal-leaning institutions.
In May, the Trump administration barred Harvard from receiving new federal grants, escalating tensions over claims of antisemitism and non-compliance with government oversight.
In April, the Trump administration escalated a dispute with Harvard by threatening to withdraw over $1 billion in health research funding after the university publicly rejected a confidential list of federal demands.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon informed Harvard's president that the university would no longer receive federal grants, citing its failure to meet legal, ethical, and academic standards.
In September, the administration moved to block Harvard from future federal research funding, with critics claiming it was an effort to suppress pro-Palestinian activism and influence campus politics.
The debarment would block Harvard from billions in federal research grants, following accusations of failing to address antisemitism, widely viewed as targeting pro-Palestinian expressions during Gaza protests.
