In a bold move to bring long-overdue transparency and accountability to American higher education, President Donald J. Trump is now reportedly expected to sign an executive order this week requiring universities to publicly disclose key information about their admissions practices as a condition for receiving federal funds.
The order, described by a senior White House official, tasks Education Secretary Linda McMahon with expanding requirements for how universities report admissions data and modernizing the federal database that publishes it — with the goal of giving students and families a clearer picture of how decisions are made behind closed doors.
“It’s time to pull back the curtain on the opaque and politically manipulated admissions systems at elite institutions,” the official said. “Taxpayer dollars should not fund secrecy, discrimination, or ideologically driven gatekeeping.”
The executive order follows the landmark 2023 Supreme Court ruling that struck down the use of race in college admissions, effectively banning affirmative action nationwide.
While the decision was hailed by conservatives as a victory for meritocracy, there is growing concern within the Trump administration that some schools are continuing to use racial preferences under new disguises — including so-called “diversity statements” and vague “holistic” review processes.
According to the White House, the new directive reflects mounting alarm that universities are skirting the spirit of the Court’s decision by using “race proxies” and obfuscating key information from the public.
The order requires Secretary McMahon to boost enforcement and accuracy checks on submitted data, with penalties for institutions that fail to comply or submit incomplete information. Schools that withhold data or drag their feet may find themselves cut off from billions in federal assistance.
This push for reform is consistent with President Trump’s broader effort to shake up the entrenched left-wing orthodoxy dominating higher education.
Since returning to office, Trump has pulled federal funds from universities accused of harboring antisemitic activity or pushing radical “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) agendas.
His administration has made clear that taxpayer support is not unconditional.
“Federal money should come with federal accountability,” Trump has said.
Already, some of the country’s most prestigious institutions are feeling the pressure. Columbia University and Brown University have both entered into agreements with the administration, pledging transparency and reform in their admissions and hiring practices.
These deals signal a quiet but seismic shift in how elite universities interact with the federal government — and how much longer they can hide behind the veil of academic autonomy.
As higher education continues to lean into politicized ideologies and activist-driven policy, conservatives are rallying around a simple but powerful message: merit matters.
And in this administration’s view, universities that wish to receive federal funds must prove that their admissions processes are fair, legal, and open to scrutiny.
Trump’s new executive order sends a clear signal: the era of unchecked academic privilege is ending. And for the American taxpayer, it’s a long-overdue reckoning.
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