The Trump administration has introduced a controversial 'Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,' targeting nine prominent universities with conditions linking compliance to priority access to federal grants and funding. This proposed agreement requires universities to align admissions, speech policies, inclusivity practices, and governance with federal priorities, provoking serious concerns about institutional independence and academic freedom. Governing boards and education experts warn that the compact undermines traditional university autonomy by making financial support contingent on politicized mandates, potentially transforming universities from independent institutions into compliance-driven entities. Several universities have received the compact and are weighing responses amid widespread criticism from academics and policymakers.