Vanderbilt among nine universities asked to agree to Trump "compact"

What they're saying: Vanderbilt confirmed it received the letter in a statement Thursday.

• "We look forward to carefully reviewing the compact and providing meaningful feedback to the administration."

Zoom in: The document reflects the administration's view that higher education is skewed to favor liberal viewpoints. It would call for "transforming or abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas," the AP reports.

The big picture: The Trump administration has aggressively fought to reshape higher education, often using federal funds as a bargaining chip.

Between the lines: A White House official told the WSJ that colleges that got the letters "have a president who is a reformer or a board that has really indicated they are committed to a higher-quality education."

Yes, but: The official said federal funding would not be limited to schools that sign the compact.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with a statement from Vanderbilt.