On October 1, 2025, multiple sources reported that 10 universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, were asked by the Trump administration to sign a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” In exchange for ceding key aspects of institutional control over matters such as hiring, admissions, tuition pricing, and curriculum, these institutions would receive priority access to federal grant programs. Participating institutions would be required to place caps on the enrollment of international students and commit to restrictions on free speech for students and staff, among other initiatives that would directly threaten the independence of these institutions. For months, the Trump administration has weaponized education funding, placing significant pressure on America’s colleges and universities to comply with its political agenda, and this so-called compact is just another attempt to do so.
 
I am proposing legislation that would prohibit institutions that receive state funding from signing onto this compact or similar agreements. Penn’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors has already stated their opposition to the university joining the compact, as doing so would give the federal government greater control over essential aspects of Penn’s operations and “threaten the very mission of the university.” The White House has indicated that more institutions may be able to join the compact in the future. Through this legislation, we will be preserving academic freedom and independence in Pennsylvania and protecting students and staff who would otherwise be negatively impacted by the compact proposed by the federal government.
 
Please consider supporting this legislation that will prevent Trump’s overreach into our Commonwealth’s colleges and universities.