Syracuse University will not sign President Donald Trump’s higher education “compact,” which aims to reshape higher education through incentives rather than legislation.
The compact offers expanded access to federal funding if universities agree to specific requirements like a five-year tuition freeze, limiting of the number of international students and no longer considering race or gender in admissions.
In a statement, Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud said the university would not sign the pact as it is now, though he said there are some sensible parts of the compact and would consider endorsing it if changes were made and the Board of Trustees approved of the changes.
Here is Syverud’s full statement:
“In its current form, no, Syracuse University is not going to sign the compact. There are parts of the compact that are sensible, including, for example, related to veterans and military-connected students. And I know some universities, not Syracuse, are meeting with the White House on the compact. If that should produce any changes, I have to say, given my short-term status as Chancellor, I would have to consult with both the Board of Trustees and this community before saying or doing anything more than I’ve said today about the compact, which is that the university is not going to sign it in its current form.”
Syverud recently announced he will step down in June 2026.
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