In a first, MIT rejects Trump’s funding deal on higher education reform

MIT has become the first US university to reject the Trump administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” which offers preferential federal funding in return for sweeping reforms. MIT President Sally Kornbluth stated the compact restricts academic freedom and independence, conflicting with MIT’s merit-based funding principles. The move highlights growing resistance to federal influence over universities and raises questions about the compact’s future among other invited institutions.

Education