The endowments were created by the cumulative donations of alumni, largely with the intention of keeping monetary influence out of the university. If you remove

The endowments were created by the cumulative donations of alumni, largely with the intention of keeping monetary influence out of the university. If you remove that connection, you'll eventually kill the goose that laid the golden eggs, as a for-profit institution inevitably embraces the values of the agora rather than the acadame. In other words, people gave money because they felt these universities can educate more freely when money isn't a factor. When they no longer feel that way, there will be no more donations.