HBCU breaks ranks, becomes first to support Trump’s Academic Excellence Compact
St. Augustine’s decision comes after Ivy League schools and major research universities like MIT, Brown, and Dartmouth rejected the compact outright.
St. Augustine’s University, a historically Black institution in Raleigh, North Carolina, is the first HBCU to back President Donald Trump’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.
While elite universities like MIT, Brown, and Dartmouth rejected the compact, and others remain undecided, St. Augustine’s submitted a letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, to the Department of Education expressing interest in joining and shaping the program.
The Trump administration’s initiative offers federal funding in exchange for sweeping education reforms.
The compact bans DEI programs, race-based admissions and scholarships, and caps international enrollment. It also includes a five-year tuition freeze for participating schools.
St. Augustine’s acknowledged the compact could present challenges for HBCUs, particularly regarding race-conscious admissions and international partnerships.
[RELATED: New College ‘ready’ to sign Trump’s Higher Ed Compact]
The university also cited concerns over financial strain due to the tuition freeze.
Despite this, school leaders said they see alignment between the compact’s goals and their mission of academic excellence and transparency. They called for a formal dialogue to address implementation while preserving the statutory role of HBCUs.
The Trump administration originally sent the compact to nine schools, eventually expanding it nationwide.
