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Hillsdale Today
By the People, for the People
Hegseth Ends Ivy League Ties for Military Education, Taps Hillsdale
The Pentagon is steering senior officers toward a new set of schools, including Hillsdale, Liberty, and Baylor, amid concerns about 'woke' ideology.
Apr. 6, 2026 at 11:33pm
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The Pentagon's move to cut ties with Ivy League schools and partner with more ideologically-aligned institutions like Hillsdale College signals a shift in how the military's top leaders will be educated.Hillsdale TodayThe Department of War, led by Secretary Pete Hegseth, has announced it will end partnerships with several elite universities, including Harvard and Princeton, and instead steer senior military officers toward a new set of schools, including Hillsdale College, Liberty University, and Baylor University. Hegseth cited concerns about 'woke' ideology weakening military education and a desire to equip the military with the 'lethality necessary to protect our national interest.'
Why it matters
This move represents a significant shift in how senior military officers receive advanced education, with the administration steering the program toward institutions that more closely align with its views on education and national identity. The decision to cut ties with Ivy League schools and partner with more conservative-leaning institutions has raised concerns about potential ideological influence on the military's leadership development.
The details
In a March 30 letter, Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn thanked Hegseth for including the school among institutions selected for the Senior Service College Fellowship Program, which sends senior military officers to civilian universities for advanced education. Arnn said Hillsdale 'refuses all government money to preserve its independence' and that any role in the program would be funded through private sources. The new list of approved schools also includes Liberty University, George Mason University, Pepperdine University, and several large public universities, as well as senior military colleges like The Citadel and Virginia Tech.
- In February, the Department of War canceled 93 fellowship positions across 22 institutions, including Harvard, MIT, Georgetown, Columbia and Princeton.
- On March 30, Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn sent a letter to Hegseth expressing the school's interest in participating in the military education program.
The players
Pete Hegseth
The U.S. Secretary of War, who has announced the Department of War will end partnerships with several elite universities, including Harvard and Princeton, and instead steer senior military officers toward a new set of schools, including Hillsdale College.
Larry Arnn
The President of Hillsdale College, who thanked Hegseth for including the school among institutions selected for the Senior Service College Fellowship Program and expressed Hillsdale's support for the administration's goal of equipping the military with the 'lethality necessary to protect our national interest.'
Hillsdale College
A private liberal arts college in Michigan that has been selected by the Department of War to participate in the Senior Service College Fellowship Program, which sends senior military officers to civilian universities for advanced education.
What they’re saying
“Thank you for including Hillsdale College among the institutions qualified to educate America's military leaders. We support your goal of equipping the military with the lethality necessary to protect our national interest.”
— Larry Arnn, President, Hillsdale College
“We train warriors, not wokesters.”
— Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of War
What’s next
It remains unclear when the Department of War will finalize new partnerships under the program or how many officers will ultimately be sent to schools like Hillsdale.
The takeaway
This decision to cut ties with Ivy League schools and partner with more conservative-leaning institutions for military education reflects the administration's desire to steer the curriculum and leadership development of senior officers away from what it perceives as 'woke' ideology and toward a more traditional, nationalist approach.
