Brown University has become the second major academic institution to reject President Donald Trump’s newly proposed “college compact,” following the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s earlier refusal. The decision, announced through a letter from Brown University President Christina Paxson, makes clear that the university will not participate in the federal program due to concerns over academic independence and governance.
The proposed compact would require participating universities to freeze tuition increases for five years, cap foreign undergraduate enrollment at 15 percent, and revise grading systems as part of a federal effort to reshape higher education policy. In exchange, universities would maintain eligibility for specific federal funding programs.
In her letter to President Trump, Paxson said that while Brown supports affordability and diversity in education, the compact poses a serious threat to institutional autonomy. “While a number of provisions in the Compact reflect similar principles as the July agreement as well as our own commitments to affordability and the free exchange of ideas I am concerned that the Compact, by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance, critically compromising our ability to fulfill our mission,” Paxson wrote.
Earlier this year, Brown entered into a limited agreement with the Trump administration to maintain federal research funding. That earlier deal also led to the closure of three pending investigations into alleged shared ancestry and race discrimination at the university.
“In return for Brown signing the July agreement, the federal government restored the University’s research funding and permanently closed three pending investigations into shared ancestry discrimination and race discrimination,” Paxson continued. “But most important, Brown’s existing agreement with the federal government expressly affirms the government’s lack of authority to dictate our curriculum or the content of academic speech — a principle that is not reflected in the Compact.”
The university’s refusal to join the compact underscores growing resistance among elite institutions to federal attempts at standardizing higher education policies. Paxson emphasized that her decision reflects the consensus of the university’s leadership, faculty, and broader community.
“My decision to decline participation in the Compact aligns with the views of the vast majority of Brown stakeholders. The Brown community will remain focused on meeting the established commitments under the July 30 agreement, while safeguarding our mission and foundational academic values,” she wrote.
With both MIT and Brown publicly rejecting the initiative, the White House faces mounting pushback from top universities concerned that the compact could erode long-standing principles of academic freedom and institutional self-governance.