Posts in Education
GCU Cleared of $37.7M Federal Fine, Retains Tax-Exempt Status

A Christian university in Arizona is no longer on the hook for a $37.7 million federal fine, believed to be the largest-ever financial penalty imposed on a school. Grand Canyon University (GCU), said that on May 16, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) rescinded the massive penalty proposed for the Phoenix-based school in 2023.

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Is Malaysia Failing To Keep Women Away From Islamist Extremism?

(ANALYSIS) A recent report by U.N. Women revealed that female empowerment has been a top priority in Malaysia, the southeast Asian country of 35 million people. From running tech startups, costume and jewelry businesses to driving public buses, women in Muslim-dominated Malaysia are largely economically, socially and culturally independent.

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Imam’s Fight For Kids’ Education Following Mosque Demolition

Zakir Hussain, the imam of the ancient Akhunji Mosque in Mehrauli, a section of South Delhi, has a vivid memory of Jan. 31, 2023. He described the terrible events of that morning, when the Delhi Development Authority destroyed not only the centuries-old mosque — but also the nearby Madrasa Bahrul Uloom and the cemetery next to it.

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Supreme Court Deadlock Blocks Nation’s First Religious Charter School

The U.S. Supreme Court could not find five votes for either side in an appeal that would have established the first state-supported religious charter school in the nation. The 4-4 split — made possible by Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s recusal — allowed to stand the lower court’s decision that it would be unconstitutional for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in Oklahoma City to be established with public funds.

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How A Small Nebraska Church Thrives Without A Preacher

“A loss is not the end. Don’t make it one,” proclaimed the Hastings Church of Christ marquee sign. The church lost its minister nearly two years ago and — despite solid finances — has been unable to fill the position. Meanwhile, a university 60 miles away has supplied Sunday speakers.

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School Vouchers Would Expand Nationwide Under New Federal Plan

A federal tax credit proposal would provide up to $5,000 per student in tuition assistance for yeshivas and other Jewish schools nationwide. The proposal, which has been criticized by some as a threat to religious liberty, has been hailed as "historic" by Agudath Israel.

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Liberty University Discloses $15.3 Million Settlement To Jerry Falwell Jr.

Jerry Falwell Jr., the former president of Liberty University, may have resigned in disgrace in 2020 following a sex scandal, but he now has a $15.3 million payment from the school to show for it. In an IRS filing provided by the Lynchburg, Virginia, school to The Roys Report, Liberty said it paid Falwell, son of the school’s late founder, the money in 2024 to settle lawsuits the former leader filed against it.

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Lawsuit Against Grand Canyon University Over Costs Clears First Hurdle

Former doctoral students suing Grand Canyon Education (GCE) over its representations about the requirements of doctoral programs prevailed against a motion to dismiss and can continue their lawsuit.

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How These Supreme Court Cases Could Reshape The Law Regarding Religion

(ANALYSIS) The big U.S. Supreme Court decisions due in the coming two months include three cases on the religion clauses in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. At issue: Can a state deny a tax benefit to religious charities it thinks are not “religious” enough, can parents withdraw public elementary children from classes on gender identity and whether the state can fund a religious charter school.  

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Harvard Releases Long-Awaited Internal Antisemitism Report

Harvard University’s president has apologized for the campus climate over the last year and a half, in a letter accompanying a long-awaited report from a university task force on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias.

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Supreme Court Considers First Taxpayer-Funded Religious Charter School

Whether taxpayers should be forced to fund religious charter schools came before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in the first case of its kind. The court is considering whether to overturn a June 2024 Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that a St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School of Oklahoma City would be unconstitutional.

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South Carolina’s Limestone University Needs $6M To Stay Open

A small Christian university in Gaffney, South Carolina, is facing possible closure if it doesn’t obtain immediate financial support of $6 million. Limestone University, founded as a nondenominational Christian women’s college in 1845, is facing imminent decisions about its continuation.

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5 Religious Freedom Cases Loom Large As SCOTUS Decisions Draw Closer

Five cases addressing religious liberty ranging from parental rights to age verification on pornographic sites will be decided when the Supreme Court announces its decisions in the coming months.

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Proposed Texas Religious Freedom Commission Appealing, But Harmful

(ANALYSIS) Why empower a small group of unelected, perhaps unrepresentative, people from some religious communities with official privileged access to the governor? Why treat seven people as if they could speak for the millions of religious believers in Texas? Can a Baptist properly reflect Catholic concerns, or an Orthodox Jew reflect Muslim concerns?

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Switching My Religion: 20% Around The Globe Have Left Their Childhood Faith

In many countries around the world, a fifth or more of adults have left the religious group in which they were raised. Christianity and Buddhism have experienced large losses from this “religious switching,” while rising numbers of adults have opted to have no affiliation, according to Pew Research Center surveys of nearly 80,000 people across 36 countries.

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Seminary Enrollment Is Up, But Some Big Seminaries Are Stalled

Seminary enrollment is up, according to data collected by the Association of Theological Schools, an accrediting agency for seminaries. For more than three decades, ATS has been releasing its annual data about what is happening in the world of graduate theological education.

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Rev. Dr. Stephen Tong Awarded Kuyper Prize For Lifetime Of Evangelism

(ANALYSIS) The Rev. Stephen Tong is a polymath and multitalented person whose stunning range of activities remain firmly and deeply rooted in his Christian faith. He is perhaps most alive in his preaching, which consistently challenges his hearers to follow Jesus Christ to the point of death. This remarkable man  is now 85 and rather than slowing down, he asks for prayer that he might live until at least the age of 90 so that he can complete a series of Farewell Gospel Rallies worldwide.

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5 Religiously Affiliated Schools That Could Bust Your March Madness Brackets

The best week in sports is upon us once again. The men’s NCAA basket tournament — a time known as “March Madness” — brings with it office pools and, very often, plenty of surprises. It’s a long road to the championship game and a lot will happen between now and April 7. Here are five religiously-affiliated schools that could turn into Cinderella teams and pull off some upsets.

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Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Back From The Abyss

(ANALYSIS) If the saga of SWBTS does indeed have a happy ending, or at least a thriving next chapter, a good bit of the credit can be attributed to one man: Dr. David Dockery.

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