After MIT, Brown University rejects Trump’s funding deal over academic freedom concerns: Should universities sacrifice autonomy for financial gain?

Brown University has formally rejected a funding proposal from the Trump administration, stating that the deal poses a threat to academic freedom and institutional autonomy. The proposal, presented to a select group of universities, offered access to increased federal funding in return for compliance with a series of policy commitments.According to the Associated Press, Brown’s decision aligns with that of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which withdrew from the offer a week earlier. Both universities cited concerns over the potential erosion of campus independence and free expression.Compact linked funding to ideological and structural changesAs reported by the Associated Press, the White House proposal promised “substantial and meaningful federal grants” to universities that agreed to a compact featuring several conditions.

These included changes to admissions policies, commitments on women’s sports, and the dismantling of campus structures perceived to limit conservative viewpoints. The administration described the compact as a means to “strengthen and renew” the relationship between the federal government and higher education institutions.Brown University President Christina Paxson rejected the proposal in a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and other White House officials.

Paxson wrote, “I am concerned that the Compact by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance, critically compromising our ability to fulfil our mission,” as quoted by the Associated Press.

She noted that although the university supports some aspects of the proposal—such as commitments to affordability and equal opportunity—others were incompatible with Brown’s core values.Paxson added that her decision was consistent with the views of “the vast majority of Brown stakeholders,” as reported by the Associated Press.Earlier agreement included academic freedom clauseIn July, Brown had reached a separate agreement with the Trump administration to resolve ongoing federal investigations and restore lost research funding. That deal required a $50 million payment to workforce organisations in Rhode Island and included commitments to adopt the federal government’s definitions of “male” and “female,” eliminate diversity targets in admissions, and renew partnerships with Israeli academics.However, as reported by the Associated Press, that earlier agreement also included a clause affirming the university’s academic freedom—a protection absent from the current proposal.Other invited universities remain silent or cautiousBrown and MIT were among nine institutions invited to become founding signatories of the compact. While the University of Texas system said it was “honoured to be invited,” most of the others have not issued public responses, according to the Associated Press.In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump stated that universities wishing to return to the “pursuit of Truth and Achievement” were welcome to take part in the compact, describing it as a step towards a “Golden Age of Academic Excellence,” as reported by the Associated Press.