Valley Forge Military College told the Education Department it wants to join the Trump administration’s expanded “Compact for Academic Excellence,” the private two‑year college said in a letter seeking collaboration on leadership education and transfer pathways. The compact, initially offered to research‑focused universities, would tie federal research and funding incentives to requirements restricting curricula, capping international enrollment, and limiting certain campus speech. Several major research universities publicly rejected the compact over concerns it would curb academic freedom; Valley Forge’s approach signals that smaller institutions, especially those aligned with conservative priorities, may see political advantage in participation. Education officials say signatories could receive preferential research funding and federal partnerships; critics argue the compact would institutionalize political litmus tests and constrain faculty governance. Trustees and campus lawyers at public and private colleges will be watching whether the expanded invitation prompts further institutional alignment with or rejection of federal conditions tied to funding — a debate that will shape trustee oversight, hiring, admissions and academic‑freedom norms.