Lead: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill publicly said it will not sign the federal “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” rejecting proposed conditions that would tie federal funding to changes in admissions, hiring and caps on international enrollment. What happened: Chancellor Lee Roberts told faculty the university has not received a formal invitation but would not sign the compact “as written,” noting some provisions are infeasible and others conflict with the institution’s practices. UNC’s statement follows a wave of similar rejections from other invited institutions. Who’s involved: The Trump administration proposed the compact; initial invitations went to nine flagship and private research universities—most declined or offered feedback. UNC’s faculty council and leadership framed the decision as protecting academic autonomy. Why it matters: The episode crystallizes a national debate over federal conditioning of higher‑education funding—implications include potential changes to international enrollment targets, academic freedom concerns and the structure of federal research and student‑aid incentives.