A sweeping new proposal from the White House aims to dramatically reshape the student bodies of nine top American universities by capping international student enrollment and axing diversity-focused admissions programs. These measures are key demands in a “compact” that ties federal funding to a university’s willingness to conform to a new, more nationalistic and less diverse vision of higher education.
The plan mandates a strict 15% cap on international undergraduates, a move that would force institutions like MIT and the University of Southern California, which often have higher proportions of foreign students, to make drastic cuts. This would not only reduce the global diversity on these campuses but could also have significant financial repercussions, as international students often pay full tuition.
Simultaneously, the compact demands a complete ban on considering race or sex in student admissions and faculty hiring. This would effectively dismantle affirmative action and other diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that have been in place for decades. Critics charge that this is a deliberate attempt to “erase diversity” and roll back progress toward making elite institutions more representative of the broader population.
These demographic-altering demands are presented as part of a non-negotiable package. Universities must accept them, along with other conditions like promoting conservative ideas, to secure federal grants. Rejecting the terms means forfeiting all federal financial support, creating immense pressure on university leaders to comply with the administration’s vision.
The proposal has been widely condemned as an attack on the modern, globalized university. Opponents argue that diversity—both international and domestic—is a source of intellectual strength and that these measures would isolate American institutions and make them less competitive on the world stage. The plan forces a choice between federal funding and a commitment to a diverse and global campus community.
