New College of Florida has become the first education institution in the US to agree to President Trump’s new “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” a federal initiative that ties funding preferences to specific policy conditions, according to a report by The New York Times. Once known for its progressive academic culture, the small public liberal arts college has undergone a political transformation under Governor Ron DeSantis.
The Trump administration’s compact requires participating colleges to accept conditions such as caps on international student enrolment, tuition freezes, and restricted definitions of gender.
“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,” according to an official statement released by the college on Monday, as reported by NYT.
A conservative shift under DeSantis
New College’s decision reflects the broader ideological shift that began in 2023 when Governor DeSantis overhauled the school’s leadership and governing board. The governor said his goal was to reshape the college in the image of Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian institution in Michigan.
He appointed a Hillsdale dean and conservative activist Christopher Rufo to the board. Following the leadership changes, more than 125 students withdrew in protest, while the administration recruited new students, largely male athletes, to replace them. Rufo said at the time that the move would “rebalance the hormones and the politics on campus.”
Administration says compliance already in place
Richard Corcoran, president of New College, said the institution has already been operating in line with most of the compact’s provisions. “Agreeing to the compact will not be a problem,” he said in the college’s statement.
The agreement positions New College as the first institution to formally align with the Trump administration’s higher education policy framework, signalling a new phase in the ongoing national debate over ideology, governance, and academic freedom in US universities.
The ‘compact’ draws resistance from several institutions
The 10-page compact has faced resistance from several universities that view the requirements as a violation of academic freedom. Many education leaders have objected to the funding clause, which gives preference to colleges that agree to the compact. They argue that federal grants should be awarded based on merit rather than political alignment.
So far, about a dozen colleges have either rejected or delayed their response to the proposal, citing concerns about institutional autonomy and inclusion policies.
The Trump administration’s compact requires participating colleges to accept conditions such as caps on international student enrolment, tuition freezes, and restricted definitions of gender.
“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,” according to an official statement released by the college on Monday, as reported by NYT.
A conservative shift under DeSantis
New College’s decision reflects the broader ideological shift that began in 2023 when Governor DeSantis overhauled the school’s leadership and governing board. The governor said his goal was to reshape the college in the image of Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian institution in Michigan.
He appointed a Hillsdale dean and conservative activist Christopher Rufo to the board. Following the leadership changes, more than 125 students withdrew in protest, while the administration recruited new students, largely male athletes, to replace them. Rufo said at the time that the move would “rebalance the hormones and the politics on campus.”
Administration says compliance already in place
Richard Corcoran, president of New College, said the institution has already been operating in line with most of the compact’s provisions. “Agreeing to the compact will not be a problem,” he said in the college’s statement.
The agreement positions New College as the first institution to formally align with the Trump administration’s higher education policy framework, signalling a new phase in the ongoing national debate over ideology, governance, and academic freedom in US universities.
The ‘compact’ draws resistance from several institutions
The 10-page compact has faced resistance from several universities that view the requirements as a violation of academic freedom. Many education leaders have objected to the funding clause, which gives preference to colleges that agree to the compact. They argue that federal grants should be awarded based on merit rather than political alignment.
So far, about a dozen colleges have either rejected or delayed their response to the proposal, citing concerns about institutional autonomy and inclusion policies.
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