Number of the week: $22 millionThat’s the size of the budget deficit that Minnesota State University, Mankato is facing over the next two years, according to officials. The conservative vision for higher ed:U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to college leaders last week asking them to commit to major policy reforms before the end of the year. Her letter asks leaders to share with the public how they plan to address the Trump administration’s priorities for higher education, ranging from adopting clear admissions criteria to fighting grade inflation. The letter focuses on many of the same issues as the compact the Trump administration sent to nine prominent research universities last year. Just a day after McMahon issued her letter, The Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank, released a model bill meant to “codify the principles” of the Trump administration’s 2025 compact.