Here’s what is being said.
A new report reveals an alarming trend in the Biden administration’s Department of Education (DOE): nearly 70% of its enforcement actions have been focused on faith-based and career-focused schools. This is especially concerning given that these institutions represent less than 10% of the total student population in the United States. According to the American Principles Project (APP), which compiled this data, the administration has been disproportionately targeting religious and conservative educational institutions.
Jon Schweppe, the policy director at APP, accused the Biden administration of weaponizing the federal government to attack its political opponents. “For years, the left has used every agency at its disposal to go after institutions and individuals who don’t align with their ideological agenda,” Schweppe stated. He emphasized that while the Department of Justice’s actions against conservative groups have garnered significant attention, the DOE’s actions against faith-based colleges and vocational schools are no less troubling.
The report highlights that two of the largest Christian universities in the nation—Grand Canyon University (GCU) and Liberty University—have faced particularly harsh treatment. In 2023, GCU was hit with a massive $37.7 million fine for allegedly misleading students about the cost of its doctoral programs. This fine is larger than the combined penalties imposed on major public universities like Penn State and Michigan State in the aftermath of their respective abuse scandals.
This aggressive stance toward religious institutions appears to be part of a broader strategy by the Biden administration to stifle conservative viewpoints in higher education. APP reports that at least 12 Christian colleges have faced disproportionate penalties or have been banned from receiving federal student aid. Shockingly, no Ivy League institution has been subjected to similar punitive measures.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has been vocal in his criticism of for-profit and faith-based institutions, particularly those that serve first-generation college students. During a hearing in April 2024, Cardona referred to such schools as “predatory,” further illustrating the administration’s dismissive attitude toward these institutions.
The report also notes a troubling disparity in the enforcement of federal regulations. For example, the average fine for a Christian school over a violation of the Clery Act—which requires universities to disclose campus crime data—was $815,000. By comparison, fines against public and private institutions averaged just $228,571, underscoring the uneven treatment of conservative and religious colleges.
One of the most notable legal battles has involved GCU’s nonprofit status. Despite being approved as a nonprofit by both Arizona state authorities and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the DOE denied the university’s status. After GCU fought back in court, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the university, ruling that the DOE had applied the wrong standards in its decision. This ruling was a significant victory for GCU, which has been a target of the administration’s scrutiny.
A spokesperson from the Department of Education responded to the APP report by insisting that the school’s religious affiliation or nonprofit status does not affect enforcement actions. However, critics argue that the patterns of targeting faith-based institutions tell a different story.
The Biden administration’s ongoing crackdown on religious and career-focused schools represents a disturbing trend of ideological warfare in the education sector. The government’s increasingly aggressive stance could have long-lasting consequences for religious institutions and the students they serve. For these schools, which provide valuable education to millions of Americans, the battle for fairness and equal treatment in the higher education landscape is far from over.