AMNA NAWAZ: A number of colleges and universities## are pushing back on pressure# from the Trump administration.

Earlier this month, the president offered nine# schools priority access to federal funding if## they signed a deal called the Compact for# Academic Excellence in Higher Education.## It includes demands like eliminating diversity,# equity and inclusion policies, prohibiting## anything that would -- quote -- "punish, belittle,# or even spark violence against conservative## ideas," shrinking foreign student enrollment, and# freezing effective tuition rates for five years.

But, so far, the University of Arizona, USC,# Brown University, Penn, Dartmouth College,## MIT, and the University of Virginia have all# rejected the deal.

The University of Texas at## Austin and Vanderbilt University# haven't yet publicly weighed in.

For a closer look, I'm joined now# by Ted Mitchell.

He's president of## the American Council on Education.

That's a# nonprofit U.S.

higher education association.

Ted Mitchell, welcome to the "News# Hour."

Thanks for joining us.

TED MITCHELL, President, American Council# on Education: Thanks for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: Let's just begin with your reaction# .. out this letter.

What did you make of it and# the terms that it entailed when you saw it?

TED MITCHELL: Yes, many of us were very# appalled by the letter in a couple of ways.

First, it's a major intrusion into the# decision-making of higher education## institutions.

Fundamental to that are who we# teach, who teaches, what we teach and all of those## were a part of the Trump deal.

Essentially,# universities were asked to cede responsibility## for those to the federal government in# exchange for an odd on federal grants,## which is the second problem, is that federal# grants should always be given on the basis## of merit, not on the basis of political# ideology or on the basis of agreeing with## a government, whether it's a Democrat# government or a Republican government.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, by the sound# of it, it's not like you would## actually advise any of these schools# to sign it.

Is that what I'm hearing?

TED MITCHELL: I think it's a# terrible idea for the institution,## and I think it's a terrible idea# for American higher education.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, in terms of what we're# seeing right now, we should remind folks,## this has been part of a broader pressure# campaign by the Trump administration.

We## know they launched over 100 investigations into# K-12 schools and higher education universities.

But, so far, we have seen some universities# agree, for example, to change their leadership.## Or we have seen settlements, for example, from# universities like Brown and Columbia and UPenn,## reportedly one in the works with# the University of Virginia as well.

The fact that schools are# now rejecting this letter,## does that say to you there's# been some shift in the landscape?

TED MITCHELL: No, I think that there's# just been a clearer recognition among## institutions of where the bright red lines are,# lines that a federal government shouldn't cross,## lines that actually would make# institutions instruments of the state,## rather than institutions seeking truth,# seeking innovation, academic discoveries.

All of that's at risk here if institutions# become simply instruments of state policy,## again, whether that's a Democrat# policy or a Republican policy.

AMNA NAWAZ: Are there any parts of the# letter that stand out to you as points## on which the schools should negotiate or# should consider?

I'm thinking specifically## about the tuition freeze.

The demands# in this letter say the signatories have## to commit to freezing tuition rates for# U.S.

students for the next five years.

That feels like something a lot of people# can get behind regardless of their politics.

TED MITCHELL: Yes, as the father of a couple# of recent college graduates, I get it.

I think that the word that's important and that is# negotiate with the government.

I don't think that## these are matters to negotiate with the government# about.

Is affordability an issue?

Absolutely,## it's an issue.

Should we do everything we# can to constrain prices and cost?

Absolutely.

And I think the deal that the government# has presented is about having the government## dictate that.

And we think that that's wrong.# And I think our colleagues across the country## agree with us.

Now, there are a# number of things that are pointed out## in the compact that are things that# we have been working on for years.

We have been clearly working on trying# to create ideological diversity in the## faculty.

I think it's wrong to point out# the protection of just conservative views.## I think all views need to be protected.# I think cancel culture is wrong whether## it comes from the left or the right.# That's something we take seriously.

But things like capping international student# enrollment, I think that goes too far.

Demanding## that institutions use a standardized test# to make all of their admissions decisions,## I think that that runs into all that we know about# the inequality of K-12 education in this country.

So I think there are plenty of things# in the compact that we need to work## on together, but we need to do it# in partnership, not with a deal.

AMNA NAWAZ: Can I ask you about that foreign# enrollment cap, though?

Because they're## proposing a 15 percent cap as a percentage# of the student body.

The argument there,## as I'm sure you have heard, is# that are fewer foreign students,## that they would admit more U.S.# students.

Is that a wrong assumption?

TED MITCHELL: It is because one forgets in that# assumption that the international students,## in addition to providing great diversity# of opinion and background on our campuses,## they often pay, most often, most# often pay full tuition.

So in fact,## international students subsidize# low-income domestic students.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, on the issue of whether# or not schools should sign this, so far,## we have seen rejections.

Do you worry# what will happen if one school does## decide to sign on?

Does that create more# pressure for other schools to follow?

TED MITCHELL: I don't think so.

I think that every institution.. context and their own needs.

But I do believe# that institutions are voicing their concern with## this idea of, well, this federal overreach that# has clearly crossed some lines for all of us.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, that is Ted Mitchell,## president of the American Council# on Education, joining us tonight.

Ted Mitchell, thank you for your time.

TED MITCHELL: Thank you.