FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@edtrust.org

Trump Administration’s “Deal” Offered to Colleges and Universities is No Deal at All
Statement from Denise Forte, president and CEO, EdTrust

WASHINGTON — “The Trump administration has offered a ‘deal’ to nine of the nation’s top public and private universities — including Vanderbilt, MIT, University of Texas, and others — that is no deal at all: limit diversity of thought and freedom of speech, and in return, receive preferential treatment for federal grants.

“The compact ‘offered’ is an existential threat to all institutions of higher learning and the latest example of the federal government overexerting its power to intimidate colleges and universities viewed as ideological enemies. This action targets funding for things like cancer research, Pell Grants for students from low-income backgrounds, and criteria for hiring faculty. This displays a complete disregard for the role that higher education plays in advancing dialogue and debate from various viewpoints, and jeopardizes the success of students, the economy, and our competitiveness as a nation. For universities to take this ‘deal’ sets a dangerous precedent for the future of higher education.”

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