New College of Florida said Monday it will sign the Trump administration’s proposed Higher Education Compact, positioning itself as the first institution to accept the White House’s list of conditions. College leaders led by president Richard Corcoran framed the move as an endorsement of merit-based admissions, limits on diversity programs and free‑speech guarantees. New College’s board — reshaped by former Governor Ron DeSantis appointees — has already implemented program cuts and personnel changes consistent with the compact’s aims. The decision matters because it offers a live test case for how the administration’s demands would affect governance, curriculum and funding at a public liberal‑arts campus; higher‑education leaders say the compact threatens institutional autonomy and could invite legal challenges.