The Trump administration is pursuing a fresh approach to reshape U.S. higher education, shifting from threats to financial incentives in order to push its ideological agenda. On Wednesday, the White House sent a memo titled “A Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” to nine prestigious universities, outlining a set of controversial requirements tied to federal funding eligibility. The initiative follows the administration’s repeated clashes with universities over free speech, diversity, climate change, pro-Palestinian protests, and transgender policies. Responses were mixed—while some schools said they were reviewing the document, the University of Texas expressed enthusiasm for collaboration. The push highlights the administration’s ongoing campaign to assert unprecedented influence over higher education and its values, raising concerns about long-term impacts on academic independence.