Falwell's Liberty University one of largest recipients of federal aid for students.

[madfloridian]

Liberty University one of the largest recipients of federal aid for students

Evangelical college Liberty University is the largest recipient of federal aid to a student body in Virginia, and the eighth largest recipient in the country overall, reports Lynchburg, Va.’s News & Advance.

Eighty-eight percent of the $445 million in federal aid that Liberty received in the 2009-2010 school year was comprised of student loans; the remaining 12 percent came in the form of Pell grants and other federal education subsidies.

Liberty is the largest private university in Virginia and calls itself “the largest and fastest growing Christian Evangelical university in the world.” The university was founded on the fundamentalist principles of the late Jerry Falwell and requires students in all its programs to take a course in “creationist studies.”

The $445 million figure is a 56 percent increase from the amount of money Liberty received in the previous school year. One of the major factors in the upsurge in federal funds obtained by the university has been a big bump in online enrollment.

That is rather alarming to me...that they received 56 percent more federal funding last year. Online studies or not...their teachings are very bigoted.

In 2009 they prohibited a Democratic Club on campus from using the name of the university.

UPDATE: Kaine calls on LU to reconsider Democratic club ban

Sounds odd to me that they got 56% more funding during a Democratic administration in spite of forbidding a Democratic club to include their name.

Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. made his first public comments today about the university's suspension of the campus Democratic party club.

"That club still has the right to exist," Falwell said, although it cannot use the university's name in its activities...They still can meet on campus," in certain rooms, he said. "There is absolutely no animosity at all toward any of these kids.

"They are good, Christian kids who sit with me at ball games. I just hope they find a pro-life family organization to affiliate with so they can be endorsed by Liberty again.

Here is more from earlier when the club was banned because it did not meet LU standards.

Earlier:

Liberty University has revoked its recognition of the campus Democratic Party club, saying “we are unable to lend support to a club whose parent organization stands against the moral principles held by” the university.

But they gladly accept the funding.

Also a law firm connected to them called Liberty Counsel was designated an Anti-Gay Group by the SPLC.

18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda

Liberty Counsel
Orlando, Fla.

Created in 1989, Liberty Counsel is affiliated with Liberty University Law School in Lynchburg, Va., a legacy of the late conservative icon Jerry Falwell. It was founded and is still chaired by Mathew (Mat) Staver, who also serves as director of the Liberty Center for Law and Policy at Liberty University, and provides legal assistance with regard to religious liberty, abortion and the family.

The organization may be best known for its campaigns to ensure that “public displays of religion” are maintained during the Christmas holiday, and it has adopted broad right-wing views, including the allegation that the Obama Administration has a “socialist liberal agenda.” But it also has focused heavily on anti-gay activism.

In 2009, J. Matt Barber, formerly with Concerned Women for America and Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (see above for both), joined Liberty Counsel as director of cultural affairs (also becoming Liberty University’s associate dean for career and professional development). A year earlier, Barber had argued that given “medical evidence about the dangers of homosexuality,” it should be considered “criminally reckless for educators to teach children that homosexual conduct is a normal, safe and perfectly acceptable alternative.”

The Counsel also has been active in battling same-sex marriage, saying it would destroy the “bedrock of society.” In 2005, the group’s blog said: “People who … support the radical homosexual agenda will not rest until marriage has become completely devalued. Children will suffer most from this debauchery.” A 2007 blog posting said same-sex marriage would “severely impact future generations.”

[aquart]

1. This is an outrage. And a payoff.

[avaistheone1]

35. It certainly is!!

Unfu**ing believable! What a bunch of lying hypocrites.

[Snoutport]

2. I wonder what the default numbers are on those loans?

The sad thing is many students trying to go to a real college can't get loans. Now we know why they are running short of money!

[madfloridian]

7. Good question.

I did not realize this was going on at such a grand scale. Increased 56% last year? Astounding.

[GKirk]

3. Isn't that like welfare?

Bet he wouldn't call it that.

More like a non-separation of church and state.

[defendandprotect]

12. It's US taxpayers subsidizing Evangelical religion -- !!

It was also interesting that W came along with taxpayer subsidies for the Vatican

just when they most needed funds to pay off their pedophile priest lawsuits -- !!!

Before W's gift, Vatican was having to sell off property -- churches, schools to pay

for the lawsuits -- and that was waking up members!!

RCC has most of the "faith based" religious organizations --




The Richwing Koch Bros. Funded the DLC --

http://www.democrats.com/node/7789

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414

If you knew about this, why didn't you tell us?

If you didn't know, pass it on -- !!

:)

[11 Bravo]

4. My son was recruited by Liberty for baseball, and they offerred him a scholarship.

He told me, "Dad, I know we're not rich, and the money is nice; but while I'm a Christian, I'm not a Jerry Falwell Christian."
I love my kid.
(Now there are other D-1 schools showing interest, but he would rather play down (D-2 or D-3) than be a hypocrite.)

[madfloridian]

10. He sounds like a great kid.

And a wise one. Be proud.

[GKirk]

15. Must be more to the story...

....what does the 'be a hypocrite' remark refer to?

[Erose999]

39. Is the Liberty team any good? I don't really follow basketball but it doesn't seem that the Fallwell

set is very into it either. seems like the only sports they like are 'rasslin and Nascar.

[KamaAina]

5. The money's probably going to pay back Rev. Moon

who, you will recall, bailed Liberty out in its early years.

Meanwhile, the Moon-controlled University* of Bridgeport, by all accounts, is nothing more than a scam to allow Moon supporters, many from South Korea, to obtasin student visas.

[madfloridian]

6. Ah yes, time to bring out "the" picture again.

I can't remember which DUer had this posted originally, but I kept it through the years.



Some of the links are dead now, but this is about Bush Sr. speaking at a Moon event.

Moon has kept "prestigious" company through the years.

[bengalherder]

21. I like the one with Neil Bush

recieving two of the fugliest pieces of fell-off-a-truck artwork ever from Moon and his wife.

It just underscored how tacky all these bastards are.

[defendandprotect]

13. Truth is, organized patriarchal religion has been going down since Youth Revolution ...

which was an overall attack on authority --

In the '80s, the GOP gave start-up funding for the Christian Coalition --

Richard Scaife financed Dobson's organization --

other wealthy right wingers funded Bauer's org.

Thank you -- didn't know that Moon had bailed out Liberty!!





The Richwing Koch Bros. Funded the DLC --

http://www.democrats.com/node/7789

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414

If you knew about this, why didn't you tell us?

If you didn't know, pass it on -- !!

:)

[madfloridian]

14. Interesting article on his other fronts.

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2007/4/19/15131/3739

"After the founding of Moon's Washington Times in the early 1980s, the newspaper consistently supported the Ronald Reagan-Bush team in its version of the events surrounding the Iran-Contra scandal. According to Clarkson, "the Moon organization was part of the private supply lines to the Nicaraguan contras, The Washington Times was given special access and provided consistently flattering coverage and the newspaper also set up a special fund for private funding of the contras."

In 1996, the relationship became decidedly financial when the former president traveled to Latin America to help Moon launch Tiempos del Mundo (Times of the World). At the time Bush called Moon's flagship U.S. publication, the Washington Times, "an independent voice" and assured the crowd that "Tiempos del Mundo... the same thing." According to published reports Bush received at least 100,000 dollars for his participation in that event.

More recently, Moon's Washington Times Foundation funneled a million dollars to Bush's presidential library through the Houston, Texas-based Greater Houston Community Foundation. Moon has also contributed to the financial wellbeing of other Bush family members. In 2005, Neil Bush, the former president's son and current president's brother, accompanied Moon on a few legs of the reverend's "World Peace King Bridge-Tunnel" tour, showing up at his side in the Philippines and Taiwan.

Late last year, Business Week reported Neil Bush's Ignite! Inc. -- an educational software company featuring what it calls "curriculum on wheels," or COWs -- received a million dollars from "a foundation linked to the controversial Reverend Sun Myung Moon... for a COWs research project in Washington-area schools."

[defendandprotect]

28. Have to reread more thoroughly, but seems the usual religious mind control ...

combined with the usual religious/corporate desire to gain access to

taxpayer's subsidies/Treasury.

[midnight]

22. The result? Democrats become Tweedledum to the Republicans' Tweedledee on the laissez-faire economy

The DLC in particular, he writes, thinks that "to collect the votes and -- more important -- the money of these coveted constituencies," Democrats must stand firm on issues like abortion rights while making "endless concessions on economic issues" such as NAFTA, welfare, privatization and deregulation. The result? Democrats become Tweedledum to the Republicans' Tweedledee on the laissez-faire economy, leaving their opponents free to woo blue-collar voters with backlash issues.http://www.democrats.com/node/7789


This is an interesting tid bit....

[defendandprotect]

29. Back later --

No time to read it right now!!

:)

[Jim Lane]

8. Thanks for posting! I've added this to the Wikipedia article about Liberty University.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_University#Finances

[madfloridian]

9. Thanks, really surprised me how much public money the school gets.

Meanwhile public schools suffer.

[defendandprotect]

11. Wow -- how in the hell did that happen?

I've known that the GOP gave start up funding for the Christian Coalition --

that Richard Scaife financed Dobson's organization -- and other wealthy Repugs

funded Bauer's org -- didn't know this, however!!


Huge amounts are also going to Vatican which has most of the "faith-based" organizations

which are getting our tax dollars now thanks to W's aiding and abetting the Vatican with

our money! W came along with our taxpayer subsidies just when the Vatican needed it most

desperate to pay off their pedophile priest lawsuits. They were having to sell off property --

long held real estate -- schools, churches -- and that was waking up parishioners.

Things got quiet again after the W bail out for Vatican!!






The Richwing Koch Bros. Funded the DLC --

http://www.democrats.com/node/7789

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414

If you knew about this, why didn't you tell us?

If you didn't know, pass it on -- !!

:)

[hifiguy]

16. I'd never been able to understand why

anyone would let their kid attend one of these reichwing religulous diploma mills in the first place. If I were in a position to hire and saw a resume with one of these sham schools listed on it I would laugh and throw it away or use it as bumfodder.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. Not to pick nits, but

the headline of the article that is the source for this story is "http://newsadvance.com/ar/929147/">Liberty tops state in federal aid for its students." In other words, the loans are to the students, not to Liberty University. The students are the recipients of the aid, not LU. Granted, the school's existence at its current level would not be possible without those student loans, but the loans are not to the school itself. The article adds, "Online enrollment spurs big increase in assistance." I suspect a lot of online enrollment, not just at LU, is solely for the purpose of milking the Federal cash cow.

One of two major federal loan programs, FFEL allowed students to borrow government-backed money from banks and other lenders. Liberty was the lone Evangelical Christian school on a top-ten list dominated by for-profit institutions. Other top recipients were the University of Phoenix and Kaplan University.

For Ritz — a financial aid veteran who got his start at a small Bible college — Liberty’s use of federal financial aid does not run counter to the university’s conservative values. Liberty does not receive the federal money directly, Ritz said, but through students, who use it to pay for tuition, room and board and other expenses.

“These funds are authorized by Congress and Congress is elected by voters. . . I’ve always been in the position where I believe I’m a steward of those federal funds. I’m a steward of tax-payer money.”

Great. Not only do I get to pay for Cuccinelli, but I also get to pay for LU. You just can't beat this gay lifestyle.

Disclaimer: I was, briefly, a ditchdigger for a company that installed a lawn irrigation system at Libery University. I am not in the LU fan club.

[madfloridian]

18. From the article and post...all that is quite clear.

"Evangelical college Liberty University is the largest recipient of federal aid to a student body in Virginia, and the eighth largest recipient in the country overall, reports Lynchburg, Va.’s News & Advance.

Eighty-eight percent of the $445 million in federal aid that Liberty received in the 2009-2010 school year was comprised of student loans; the remaining 12 percent came in the form of Pell grants and other federal education subsidies."

That states it clearly.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

19. No problem

It's not much of a distinction, since it's abundantly clear that LU is the big winner in all this.

The original newspaper article is a real eye-opener.

This spring, Liberty is knee-deep in the processing of thousands of financial aid packages for incoming students. {Robert Ritz, LU’s executive director of financial aid} expects financial aid to increase by 15 to 20 percent for the upcoming school year.

To keep up, Liberty’s financial aid office has expanded from 51 to 138 employees over the past four years. By comparison, Lynchburg College employs four people in its financial aid office, while Randolph College and Sweet Briar employ three and two, respectively.

With six positions vacant and more needed to keep up with the work load, Ritz expects the Liberty financial aid office to reach 154 employees by July.

[madfloridian]

20. They are reaping benefits while being intolerant...

of Democrats and gays and most anyone else who is not just spouting their credo.

And also from the Lynchburg article...this sentence absolutely floored me.

"Still, a small number of Liberty students choose to opt out of federal financial aid programs due to their conservative values, Ritz said."

I would say there's hypocrisy there by Liberty....they reap the benefits while going against conservative values.

[alp227]

23. Zelman v Simmons-Harris (2002) approved religiously neutral school voucher pgms

if they avoid discriminating against religious schools. According to Wikipedia:

"Under the Private Choice Test developed by the court, for a voucher program to be constitutional it must meet all of the following criteria:

* the program must have a valid secular purpose,
* aid must go to parents and not to the schools,
* a broad class of beneficiaries must be covered,
* the program must be neutral with respect to religion, and
* there must be adequate nonreligious options."

Still I find it astonishing how so much money goes to helping religious junk science like abstinence education and now Liberty University with its required creationist course. Now how does learning creationism help open your mind? . And conservatives complain complain complain how those evil librul Marxist colleges indoctrinate our kids with multiculturalism and all that nonsense!

[madfloridian]

24. "the program must be neutral with respect to religion"

That's Liberty U....really really neutral. Easy to get around that one.

That's what Pat Robertson's Regent Univ. and Falwell's Liberty Univ. have been doing for years...plus Falwall's univ. of law.....getting around the secular to benefit their rigid religious views.

They are really good at it.

[madfloridian]

25. I love the Pharyngula blog.

Tells it like it is.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

26. Falwell is dead. Long live Falwell!

[ohheckyeah]

27. That makes me want to puke.

Virginia has some GREAT colleges: Medical College of VA, Virginia Commonwealth University, William & Mary, Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, and the list goes on and on and on. And Liberty gets the most money? That's an outrage.

[Blue_Tires]

30. Nothing new...right wingers only hate federal money that helps OTHER people

Our local business community is full of far right, freedom-loving, market-worshipping, gummitt-hating Ron Paul acolytes who would be out of business tomorrow if they weren't constantly whoring government/military contracts...

[jwirr]

31. Hypocrites.

[bertman]

32. More fuel for the fires of hell. Accepting money from a morally bankrupt gummint.

Damnation!!

WWJD?

REC.

[madfloridian]

36. Really hypocritical, I would say.

:hi:

[Wise Child]

33. I think a big part of the reason that Liberty U. is getting more money is higher tuition,

Private universities generally charge more in tuition.

They tend to have tuition increases at a greater rate than state schools.

Also, Jerry Falwell was pretty ambitious. He grew the size of his campus. Enrollment is like a medium sized state university, more than 10,000 enrolled.

It's funny, I read a book that said that he doesn't allow "socialists" on the faculty. He made a point that he wants to be as far to the right as Harvard is "far to the left." So, no room for those of an ideological mix of socially conservative / economically liberal-populist.

I imagine a professor there yelling at a student "What? 'Universal Healthcare' - outta my classroom!"

[idrahaje]

34. although..

obviously if it's a Christian university obviously they would require students to go thru a Christian class. o_O duh...

Now the money thats debatable. although I'd be more concerned about these for profit schools popping up like Kaplan University...

[Rex]

37. Why is it that the biggest shitstains are also the biggest hypocrites!?

Newt, Pat, Jerry's school for the 'elite regressive morans' in our society.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

38. HTFdoes that shithole even qualify as a legitimate institution? nt

[upi402]

40. Conservatives use and abuse the safety net

Nearly all the social program users I know are conservatives. ALL the safety net abusers I know are big RWers.

[Crowman1979]

41. Plus the tuition at these so-called christian universities are INSANELY HIGH!

[muntrv]

42. Liberty U, pick yourself up by the bootstraps and get off the dole!!!