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Trump Admin's New Memo Targets Elite Universities With Far-Reaching Higher Ed Changes

The Trump administration's latest move in its pressure campaign on higher education could significantly reshape U.S. universities. Nine elite schools are targeted with controversial demands.

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In this image we can see a man is standing. He is wearing a graduation gown and cap. In front of the man, podium and mic is there. We can see people at the bottom of the image. Two more men are sitting on the left side of the image. We can see a table, on the right side of the image. On the table, we can see glasses and bottles. The background is blue and black.

Trump Admin's New Memo Targets Elite Universities With Far-Reaching Higher Ed Changes

The Trump administration has issued a new memo, titled the 'Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education', focusing on institutional funding and preferential access to federal grants. The memo, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, outlines 10 principles that colleges must align with to gain these benefits. It targets nine prestigious universities, including the University of Arizona and Brown University.

The memo demands a return to standardized testing, limits on international student enrollment, and a five-year tuition freeze. It also includes provisions for banning the use of sex or race in hiring or admissions, and banning transgender women from women's locker rooms and sports teams. Institutions are free to develop alternative models if they choose to forego federal benefits.

The principles also include providing free tuition for 'hard science' students, reducing student debt, ensuring diverse ideological viewpoints on campus, and disclosing earnings by major. This is the latest move in the Donald Trump administration's pressure campaign to remodel higher education, following previous targets such as the University of Pennsylvania's athletics program and Princeton University.

The Trump administration is asking nine colleges and universities to adhere to these policies to gain priority access to federal funding. As of now, there are no indications that any university has responded to this initiative. The memo's demands, if implemented, could significantly reshape higher education in the United States.

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