The Trump administration’s enforcement actions against diversity-linked programs escalated this week as Education Department moves led to the termination of 120 TRIO college-access grants and Ivy League leaders pushed back on a White House higher-education compact. The Department of Education flagged TRIO projects for alleged rule violations tied to gender-targeting, ending grants weeks before the college application cycle begins. Meanwhile, University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson publicly released his Oct. 16 letter rejecting the administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence,” agreeing on some accountability goals but criticizing promises of preferential treatment for signatories and the compact’s omission of academic freedom. The twin actions force campuses to choose between compliance, legal challenges, and the continuity of student-support services at a critical moment in admissions.