Higher Education Transparency Affirmed by President Donald J. Trump: Unveiling Admission Practices in Institutes of Learning
President Donald J. Trump has taken a series of steps to increase accountability, transparency, and fairness in higher education admissions. In July 2025, he signed a Presidential Memorandum and Executive Orders aimed at addressing these issues.
The Memorandum directs the Secretary of Education to revamp the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to improve transparency and accessibility of admissions data for parents and students. This includes expanding the scope of data requested from institutions and ensuring accuracy through enhanced checks and remedial actions for noncompliance.
One of the key objectives of the Memorandum is to end discriminatory race-based admissions practices. This aligns with a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found race consideration in admissions illegal. Colleges are now required to submit detailed admissions data to verify compliance and to provide a fuller public view of admissions factors, addressing concerns about covert racial proxies like "diversity statements."
Oversight is also strengthened for federal grantmaking, mandating senior officials at agencies to review grant opportunities for alignment with national priorities and legal compliance.
However, these reforms have faced criticism. Some argue that the broad application to all institutions, including less selective colleges, may result in gaps in effectively catching ongoing race-based considerations due to the complexity of admissions processes and voluntary post-enrollment demographic surveys.
In addition to the Memorandum, President Trump signed an Executive Order in January 2025 to end discriminatory and illegal DEI preferences in higher education. He also signed a Proclamation in June 2025 to safeguard national security by suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University.
In July 2025, President Trump secured settlements with Columbia University and Brown University, including agreements for the universities to provide access to all relevant data and information to assess compliance with their commitments to merit-based hiring and admissions. He also negotiated a resolution with the University of Pennsylvania to keep men out of women's sports and restore the trophies and records of women.
These actions, taken by President Trump, are actively promoting accountability through enhanced data transparency and enforcement mechanisms while explicitly seeking to eliminate race-based discrimination in admissions, backed by federal data collection reforms and oversight measures. Critics argue, however, that these measures may not be enough to address the complexities of admissions processes and ensure fairness for all students.
[1] White House Press Release, "President Trump Takes Action to Increase Accountability and Transparency in Higher Education Admissions," July 2025. [2] U.S. Supreme Court Ruling, Fisher v. University of Texas, 2023. [3] Memorandum for the Secretary of Education, "Increasing Accountability and Transparency in Higher Education Admissions," July 2025. [4] Education Week, "Trump Administration's Higher Education Admissions Reforms Face Criticism," August 2025.
- The Presidential Memorandum and Executive Orders signed by President Donald J. Trump in July 2025, aimed at increasing accountability and transparency in higher education admissions, also address sports-related issues, such as preventing discrimination in women's sports and negotiating resolutions to restore trophies and records.
- In the realm of education-and-self-development, President Trump's reforms not only target higher education but also the general news, as his actions have been met with both support and criticism, with debates on the effectiveness of his measures to ensure fairness in admissions processes and their potential impact on political affairs.
