Overview
In a prior client alert, Steptoe described the White House's "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education," which the White House sent to nine universities on October 1, 2025. The Compact offered "multiple positive benefits," including "substantial and meaningful federal grants" and "increased overhead payments where feasible" to institutions that signed on. The Compact also stated that institutions were "free to develop models and values other than those [discussed in the document], if the institution elects to forego federal benefits."
In late October 2025, after the White House sent the Compact to the initial universities, the administration extended the offer to all colleges and universities, according to a Truth Social post by President Trump and comments from administration sources.
In this client alert, we describe the latest developments with institutional responses to the Compact.
Original Responses
The initial nine universities that received the original letter were Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, University of Arizona, Dartmouth College, the University of Arizona, and the University of Texas at Austin. None of these institutions have joined the compact; some have expressly rejected it, citing concerns over academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and merit-based research funding, among other issues, and others have declined to join or stated that they are providing feedback.
What's New?
As of November 12, 2025, several institutions have expressed interest in signing on to the Compact:
Valley Forge Military College, a private, co-educational, two-year military college in Pennsylvania, was the first institution to sign up. Valley Forge sent a letter to Dr. David Barker, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, expressing its "desire and honor" to be part of the Compact. Specifically, it stated that "Participation in the Compact would provide valuable opportunities for collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement." The letter said that Valley Forge was "particularly eager to contribute to discussions on leadership education student resilience and pathways from two-year programs to four-year institutions."
New College of Florida announced that it would also sign on to the Compact. The small public liberal arts school, which Governor DeSantis's administration has overhauled, wrote: "As other colleges have rejected the compact, we see it as a bold step forward from the Trump administration that will help preserve America's place as the world's number one destination for higher education."
Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university located in Phoenix, Arizona, announced that its policies and mission aligned with the Compact, but said it would not officially express interest until it received clarity on any potential developments since the Compact's initial rollout. The University's spokesperson stated: "[W]e have not yet received any official information or invitation from the Department of Education, nor do we know if any revisions have been made based on initial feedback," and explained, "We'll await those developments before determining any next steps or
It remains to be seen if other institutions will join the Compact and what may come of the dialogue with the administration in which some of the initial set of universities stated they are engaged. We will continue to monitor these developments and update our alerts. Please check back here for more information, and contact one of our Higher Education Team members if you have any questions about the Compact.
