USC, other universities asked to sign commitment to Trump in exchange for favorable treatment

The White House is asking nine elite universities and colleges — including the University of Southern California — to sign a compact with the Trump administration in exchange for favorable treatment.

The Associated Press obtained the letter on Thursday. It asks the universities to agree to the government's definition of gender, to exclude race and gender in college admissions decisions, limit the enrollment of international students, and cap tuition for U.S. students, among other demands.

The 10-page letter also takes aim at free speech policies on campuses, asking the schools to commit to "transforming or abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas."

Universities that sign the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” will receive preferential access to federal grants, according to a White House official who spoke to the AP.

A USC spokesperson said in a statement that the university was reviewing the administration's letter.

The move comes as universities, including many in Southern California, face extraordinary pressure from the Trump administration. The federal government has asked UCLA to pay nearly $1.2 billion to settle civil rights and antisemitism allegations in exchange for releasing nearly a half billion dollars in federal funding, according to the Los Angeles Times. Gov. Gavin Newsom has called the demands "extortion."

In addition to USC, the White House letter was sent to Brown University, Dartmouth College, the University of Arizona, the University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas and the University of Virginia.