MIT President Sally Kornbluth said she “cannot support” a White House compact asking nine universities to adopt President Donald Trump’s political agenda in exchange for favorable federal funding. In a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, she warned the plan would curb free speech and university independence and argued research support should be merit-based. The 10-page proposal demands tuition freezes, mandatory SAT/ACT, admissions stripped of race and sex, and a binary gender policy, with decisions due Nov. 21. Opposition has mounted on and off campus; some leaders called it extortion, while UVA and Brown invited feedback.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.