Trump signs memo requiring transparency in college admission practices

President Trump signed a memorandum Thursday requiring universities to be transparent about their admissions practices in order to receive federal financial assistance.

The memo directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to broaden the requirements for schools to report admission data and revamp the online database with the information so students and parents can easily navigate it.  

The secretary is also directed to increase accuracy checks on the data submitted and take action if a university submits incomplete or late data.  

The directive, which was originally expected to be an executive order but is officially a memorandum, comes after the 2023 Supreme Court decision that said institutions could no longer use race as a factor in admissions.

The White House said the lack of admission data and other “race proxies” used by universities such as diversity statements makes them concerned the practice is still continued at institutions.

“American students and taxpayers deserve confidence in the fairness and integrity of our Nation’s institutions of higher education, including confidence that they are recruiting and training capable future doctors, engineers, scientists, and other critical workers vital to the next generations of American prosperity. Race-based admissions practices are not only unfair, but also threaten our national security and well-being,” the memo reads. 

The memo comes as the president battles to reform higher education. Trump has pulled billions of dollars in federal funding from institutions over a range of issues, including alleged antisemitism to diversity, equity and inclusion measures on campuses.  

In deals made with Columbia University and Brown University, both institutions agreed to transparency and reforms to their admissions and hiring practices.

This story was updated Aug. 8 at 10:58 a.m.