Newsom’s Stance on Trump-Era ‘Compact’ for Colleges Resurfaces Amidst Higher Ed Debate

During a previous presidential administration, then-President Donald Trump’s team proposed a ‘Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,’ an agreement that sought to align universities with specific federal education policies in exchange for funding. This initiative, which required schools to adhere to administration-dictated rules on admissions, hiring, free speech, teaching, and endowments, sparked immediate controversy.

California Governor Gavin Newsom vehemently opposed the compact, threatening to withhold billions in state funding, including crucial Cal Grants, from any California institution that signed the agreement. Newsom argued that such an action would compromise academic freedom and betray students, professors, and researchers. The University of Southern California (USC), a private institution that receives significant Cal Grant funding, was the only California university targeted by the compact at the time.

A White House spokesperson from the Trump administration criticized Newsom’s opposition, framing it as an impediment to higher education reform and efforts to protect free speech and cap tuition hikes. This historical clash over federal and state control in higher education highlights ongoing tensions regarding academic autonomy and funding mechanisms, issues that continue to be relevant in contemporary educational policy discussions.

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