Trump Agreements With Brown And Columbia Allow Federal Review Of Admissions

Forbes

06-08-2025

Brown University and Columbia University have struck deals with the Trump administration that mark a new level of federal involvement in how universities manage the admissions process.
The agreements, which were signed in late July, restore access to hundreds of millions in federal research funding for the two Ivy League universities. In return, both institutions accepted terms that expand federal oversight of their admissions processes and campus governance, marking a shift in how the government interacts with universities.
In exchange for the return of federal funding, both Columbia and Brown have agreed to provide federal agencies with detailed student applicant data, including race, standardized test scores and grade point averages. The outcomes of the admissions process must also be disclosed to the government, so observers can track whether students with certain academic records were accepted or not.
This type of oversight is unprecedented in higher education and the concessions made by these two schools present challenges to schools like Harvard University, which has been contending with a series of attacks from the Trump administration. Other universities are likely to come under similar scrutiny as the government seeks to gain leverage in the higher education sector.
'While the requirements are only so far imposed on Columbia and Brown, I foresee all schools feeling at threat of similar reporting,' says Hafeez Lakhani, founder and president of Lakhani Coaching.
In recent months, the Trump administration has frozen over $2.5 billion in Harvard's federal research funding and launched sweeping investigations into its admissions, hiring, and DEI policies, citing alleged antisemitism and bias.
Officials have demanded detailed admissions and student data, threatened Harvard's tax-exempt status, and attempted to revoke its ability to enroll international students. Harvard has refused to settle, instead fighting these measures in federal court at a huge financial and operational cost.
The deals struck by Brown and Columbia, however, puts pressure on Harvard as the Trump administration continues to use federal funding as leverage to enact policy change. By tying funding to compliance terms, the adminstration has gained influence in shaping how universities evaluate applicants, experts say. And, in Columbia's case, the university must also submit certain academic programs, such as Middle Eastern studies, for federal review.
Under the Columbia and Brown agreements, standardized test scores are expected to play a larger role in admissions. With race now barred from consideration in admissions, quantifiable metrics like SAT and ACT scores can become the primary tools for federal oversight. The shift signals a return to admissions models that emphasize test performance over individual context.
"The largest change for applicants in the coming admissions cycle will be a greater focus on standardized test scores—these are one of the few application elements that anti-DEI forces have left unquestioned," says Lakhani.
The personal essay, too, may still be used to distinguish between candidates that have similar academic credentials.
'The personal essay will still carry important weight as there are too many candidates who would qualify based on grades and test scores alone,' Lakhani adds. 'The essay, alongside the school evaluation and teacher recommendations, will continue to be an important evaluator of character.'