MIT publicly declined the Trump administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence,” telling Education Secretary Linda McMahon that the offer’s trade-offs would restrict free expression and politicize federal research funding. President Sally Kornbluth said MIT already meets many of the compact’s stated goals but cannot accept provisions that would limit institutional independence or channel funding based on non‑scientific priorities. The rejection is the first clear, public no from one of nine universities invited to sign and has energized faculty and academic‑freedom advocates. MIT framed the dispute around merit‑based funding and scientific independence, signaling to peers that acceptance could invite federal oversight of admissions, speech policies and hiring practices. Legal scholars and campus leaders immediately flagged the move as precedent-setting: if other research universities follow MIT’s lead, the administration’s effort to tie policy concessions to funding could face widespread institutional resistance and potential litigation.