President Donald Trump is urging top universities to open their doors wider for American students by cutting back on foreign student enrollments and curtailing diversity initiatives.
This plan aimed at reducing foreign student numbers was presented to elite colleges recently. Currently, many prestigious universities reserve about 25% of their slots for international students, most of whom are looking to secure work permits through federal “optional practical training” programs.
In 2024, the Biden administration issued work permits to as many as 400,000 foreign students and graduates. This influx of foreign workers—who often find jobs through networks that prioritize hiring within certain ethnic groups—has resulted in many Americans being sidelined for internships and career opportunities. “If you’re a family from where I grew up in Wisconsin, and you’ve got bright kids, it’s disheartening to think they’ll miss out on the best universities,” I mentioned to an audience in California back in July.
The initiative, dubbed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” suggests closer cooperation between the government and top universities, provided these institutions agree to adopt a set of proposed reforms.
According to a recent release from the White House, the goals include:
Ending the emphasis on diversity in employment, enrollment, and financial aid.
Mandating stronger SAT or ACT scores for future applicants.
Clearly distinguishing between male and female spaces on campus.
Reducing tuition for students focusing on hard sciences.
Requiring full disclosure of foreign funding.
Halting the promotion of identity politics in academic events and classrooms.
Limiting foreign student enrollment to 15% and ensuring no country occupies more than 5% of university spots.
A letter detailing this plan was sent to various institutions, including the University of Arizona, Brown University, and several others. As of late Wednesday, these universities had either declined to comment or had not replied.
[A White House official] May Mailman, who has been pivotal in shaping higher education policies, stated that this compact might eventually be expanded to all universities. She noted that the administration is open to input from university leaders regarding the initiative.
“I genuinely hope all universities will engage in a dialogue with us,” she said.
The White House’s approach aims to support universities in making tough decisions that they may find challenging on their own, Mailman mentioned.
Many academics advocate for a diversity agenda that, in their view, disrupts traditional civic norms, Christian values, and societal expectations for American citizens, chiefly by fostering foreign cultures and ideologies. This kind of policy may assist elite progressives in promoting political and cultural shifts.
The University of Pennsylvania agreed to amend its policies concerning transgender athletics, while Columbia has committed over $200 million to address issues related to discriminatory practices and anti-Semitism. Additionally, Brown University plans to invest $50 million over ten years in local workforce initiatives.
