The Trump administration urged colleges to sign a voluntary compact to freeze tuition for at least five years, offering preferential access to federal funding for institutions that comply. No major campuses have committed; public systems and some universities already use freezes or caps, but private institutions rarely do because tuition revenue remains central to operating budgets. A Quinnipiac poll shows broad public resistance to federal involvement in college policy, with most Americans preferring institutional autonomy over Washington-driven mandates. University leaders warn that tuition freezes can create short-term student relief while transferring long-term financial strain to budgets, staffing, and program quality. A tuition "freeze" restricts an institution’s ability to raise published tuition rates for a defined period; it’s a blunt instrument that often requires compensating state funding or spending cuts to sustain operations.