Christian Colleges Warn: New Federal Rule Could Harm Ministry Students

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Christian colleges are warning that a proposed new Department of Education rule – introduced by an administration typically viewed as friendly to religious institutions – could end up harming students who attend faith-based schools to prepare for lives of ministry and service to God.

Under the proposed rule, academic programs could lose access to federal student loans – and in some cases Pell Grants – if their graduates fail to earn more money than people with lower levels of education, a benchmark critics say could disproportionately impact ministry-focused degrees that often lead to lower-paying careers.

For example, the proposal would require graduates of undergraduate religious studies programs to earn more than the average high school graduates. Meanwhile, seminary graduates with master’s degrees would be expected to outearn the typical holder of a bachelor’s degree.

“As the federal student loan portfolio approaches $1.7 trillion and more students are left financially worse off than if they had never attended college, now is the time for a hard reset in higher education,” the Department of Education said in a news release.

The new rule, though, could hit religious degree programs especially hard. Christianity Today, citing government data, reported that 53 percent of bachelor’s programs in religion and religious studies would be labeled “failing” under the proposal – far higher than the projected rates for graphics communications (17.7 percent), music (11 percent), and composition/writing studies (9.8 percent). It would impact religious-focused master’s degrees programs even more, with 89 percent considered failing.

“It’s an existential threat to the future of religious higher education in the US – I don’t think that’s an overstatement,” Philip Dearborn, the head of the Association for Biblical Higher Education, told Christianity Today. “It came out of left field.”

Dearborn and 21 college presidents met with lawmakers toward the end of April, pleading for help as the new rule moves closer to taking effect.

The Association of Theological Schools and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities have also expressed concern about the proposal’s potential impact.

“If folks want to get their degrees in these areas, but they’re not eligible for financial aid, it’s going to significantly impact the religious workforce,” Frank Yamada, head of the Association of Theological Schools, said in a recent webinar, according to CT. “In many Christian traditions now, there are often more job openings or calls available than there are candidates to fill those calls.”

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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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