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MIT was the first school to reject an offer to join the Trump administration's so-called Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.
But Kornbluth says speaking with one voice across higher ed is easier said than done.
And with enrollment declines and financial strain already squeezing the higher ed industry, Kornbluth says college leaders worry that openly standing up to the administration could make a bad situation even worse.
For NPR News, I'm Kurt Karapazza in Boston.
The letter from MIT President Sally Kornbluth says the compact, quote, includes principles with which we disagree.
MIT was one of nine universities asked by the Department of Education to sign the agreement to ensure access to federal funding and grants.
The compact requires schools to agree to a list of demands, including a five-year tuition rate freeze, limits on international students, and prohibiting the use of race or sex as admissions factors.
Kornbluth writes, the university believes that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone, and therefore, quote, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.
The university is the first school to respond publicly to the administration's compact.
The letter from MIT President Sally Kornbluth says the compact, quote, includes principles with which we disagree.
MIT was one of nine universities asked by the Department of Education to sign the agreement to ensure access to federal funding and grants.
The compact requires schools to agree to a list of demands, including a five-year tuition rate freeze, limits on international students, and prohibiting the use of race or sex as admissions factors.
Kornbluth writes, the university believes that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone, and therefore, quote, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.
The university is the first school to respond publicly to the administration's compact.