Faith-based colleges are accusing the Biden administration’s Department of Education of targeting them with disproportionate enforcement. A report by the American Principles Project (APP) found that nearly 70% of the department’s enforcement actions have been directed at Christian and career schools, which serve less than 10% of the student population.
Jon Schweppe of APP condemned the administration’s actions, saying, “The Department of Education has engaged in a campaign to punish Christian colleges simply because they stand against the left’s agenda.” He called the targeting “egregious” and urged an immediate end to the practice.
Grand Canyon University (GCU) and Liberty University have been among the hardest hit, facing fines far exceeding penalties levied on public universities for more serious offenses. GCU was fined $37.7 million last year over allegations of misleading students, while Liberty University was fined heavily as well.
According to the APP report, the average fine for Christian colleges for Clery Act violations was $815,000, while other institutions faced significantly smaller penalties. Additionally, at least 12 Christian schools have been penalized or denied federal student aid eligibility, while Ivy League schools have faced no such actions.
The Department of Education denies targeting Christian institutions, asserting that its enforcement actions are impartial. “Our top priority is protecting students,” a department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, dismissing the APP report as a distortion of publicly available data.
GCU recently scored a legal win over the department, with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the school had been wrongfully denied nonprofit status. The case has added to claims that the administration is unfairly targeting faith-based institutions.
The APP report has reignited debates about ideological bias in federal agencies and the need to protect religious institutions from politically motivated enforcement.
