President Donald Trump’s administration took another step this month to pressure university leaders by offering them a deal: agree to our terms, and get priority access to federal funds.

The terms of the compact include some of the administration’s core higher-ed policy positions. Universities that sign it would agree to freeze tuition for five years, cap international student enrollment, end grade inflation, and commit to strict definitions of gender.

It’s the latest example of how the administration is trying to wield influence on campuses across the country.

And, it’s not particularly popular, according to polling released this week by Quinnipiac University: 57% of respondents opposed increasing the federal government’s role in university operations and only 12% strongly supported it. (The results of the 1,519-person telephone survey were shared with the Chronicle of Higher Education.)

Several research institutions initially offered Trump’s deal have rejected it, including the University of Virginia. More than 60% of respondents to the Quinnipiac poll said colleges shouldn’t align with Trump in exchange for preferential funding.

On the flip side, Florida’s New College — the once-quirky liberal arts school that was at the center of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s conservative overhaul of higher ed — said this week it hopes to be the first university to sign on.

As our reporters at the Tampa Bay Times have written, the college’s identity has shifted drastically over the last two years. DeSantis recast its board of trustees, who promptly fired the president and replaced her with Richard Corcoran, the former Florida House speaker. The school also abolished its gender studies program; denied some faculty members tenure; and dismantled its diversity, equity, and inclusion office.

[Read more: New College signals changes with new courses, mission statement via the Tampa Bay Times]

In a statement, Corcoran highlighted the fact that the steps the college has taken over the last two and a half years are aligned with the administration’s ideals.

“We have no affirmative action or DEI, and we have been building a campus where open dialogue and the marketplace of ideas are at the forefront of everything we do. We believe a student’s success comes from their character and their merit, not their race, gender, or sexual orientation, and we would be honored to sign the Trump administration’s compact,” Corcoran said.

The University of Texas at Austin was among the group initially asked to sign the compact. Officials said earlier this month that they were honored to be considered, and haven’t yet said whether or not they’ll sign. Talks between the system and the White House are said to be ongoing.

We’re a nonprofit newsroom that relies on your support.

If dedicated local reporting on higher ed matters to you, donate to Open Campus today.

Elsewhere on Open Campus

From Indianapolis: The Nehemiah Project is a 16-week construction course aimed at giving young people in Indianapolis hands-on training. Participants must be within the ages of 18 and 24 and face some sort of barrier to getting a job, such as being a parent or formerly incarcerated, Claire Rafford reports at our partner Mirror Indy.

The course also teaches more than just construction skills. Participants are encouraged to process trauma they’ve experienced through conversations and class activities.

It’s that aspect that is most appealing to Arthur Neely. Neely is raising three young children and got out of prison earlier this year. Coming to class and talking about his feelings is a stress-reliever, he told Claire.

“It’s kind of like therapy to me,” Neely said.

From San Antonio: Palo Alto College is the only community college in San Antonio offer a cosmetology operator program, and with lower tuition than name-brand for-profit programs, its appeal is growing, writes Danya Pérez at our partner the San Antonio Report.

Palo Alto’s Cosmetology Program Director Lydia Hannawi said she expected to have about 20 to 30 prospective students stop by during a recent open house — instead they received about 80.

The program has grown since it started in 2015, likely due at least in part to the fact that it costs thousands of dollars less than similar courses at places like Aveda and Paul Mitchell.

For-profit cosmetology programs are often criticized for churning out students who go on to learn less than the average high school graduate (something Lisa Kurian Philip wrote about at our partner WBEZ last year.)

Keep in touch

We’re a nonprofit newsroom that relies on the support of readers like you. Donate today.

Interested in reaching readers who care about higher education in communities across the country? Get in touch or request our media kit.

Please share. Forward this newsletter to colleagues, family, and friends who might be interested. They can sign up for their own copy here.

Run a newsroom and want to improve your coverage of higher ed? Let’s talk.

Got a story tip or a question? Please send it along.