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Thread ID: 9570 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2003-09-06
2003-09-06 11:22 | User Profile
[url=http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/living/religion/6691304.htm]If you're a theology major in Missouri, don't expect financial aid[/url]
By HELEN T. GRAY The Kansas City Star
Posted on Sat, Sep. 06, 2003
Warning to Missouri college students planning on majoring in theology or divinity: There's no need to apply for state scholarship money. You can't have it.
In Missouri it's against the law to use state funds for those two specific academic degrees. No such restrictions apply to other academic majors.
Missouri is one of 11 states prohibiting the use of state funds for theology or divinity degrees. Two other states are Washington -- a lawsuit challenging that state's law is to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this fall -- and Michigan. In July a federal judge temporarily barred Michigan from enforcing its law in the case of Teresa Becker, who lost her $2,300 state scholarship once she declared her major to be theology.
At issue is whether qualified students are being discriminated against when they are denied state aid only because they are majoring in theology.
"Students like Teresa should be free to study the subjects they wish to study without being penalized by the state simply because they take religion seriously," said Patrick Gillen of the Thomas More Law Center, which is handling Becker's case.
**He has stated that "Michigan's decision to strip students of competitive scholarship funds who choose to major in theology [u]turns the First Amendment on its head and makes the state the enemy of religion[/u]."
On the other side is the view represented by the [u]American Jewish Congress[/u], New York, which filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Washington state's scholarship policy.
"[u]We think that preparing people for ministry is something the state should not fund[/u]," said Marc Stern, the congress's general counsel. "We support the right of the state to draw that line."**
Students do not lose their state scholarships merely because they take theology classes; they just cannot major in theology, "which is a reasonably accurate way to predict those who are preparing for the ministry," Stern said.
In Missouri the statute says, "No award shall be made...to any applicant who is enrolled, or who intends to use the award to enroll, in a course of study leading to a degree in theology or divinity."
A bill attempting to change this provision during the last legislative session never got out of committee.
Private schools
Area college and university officials differ in their view of the Missouri law, but abiding by it doesn't seem to be much of a problem.
At Rockhurst University, for example, students there who are awarded a state grant must sign a letter stating they are not enrolled in a program leading to a degree in theology.
At Rockhurst, a Jesuit school, only a few students are affected. Of 903 declared majors in 2002, only 10 were in theology. School officials said they knew of no students who had to change their majors to accept state aid or make other financial arrangements to keep their theology major.
"But I know of some students at other institutions who have theology as a minor, and not a major, to receive state funds, and then go on to a seminary," said Carla Boren, financial aid director for Rockhurst.
Missouri's state funding for its students is relatively low, she said, but it can be significant for some students. While the Charles Gallagher Grant is a flat rate of $1,500, the Missouri College Guarantee Grant can go as high as $4,800, she said.
The restriction on state aid also is not a big issue at Avila University, another Catholic school, said Angie Comstock, director of financial aid. The school offers a bachelor's degree in religious studies, but not many students take that major, she said.
Students receiving state aid sign a letter similar to that of Rockhurst indicating they are not pursuing an undergraduate degree in theology or divinity.
"But the fact that they do not qualify for state aid may not be a factor because private money is available," she said. "We offer scholarships from private donors, based on academics."
William Jewell College in Liberty, a liberal arts school with historical ties to the Baptists, does not offer degrees in theology or divinity, said Mark Van Tilburg, executive director of college relations. It does, however, offer a degree in religion.
State schools
State universities offer religious studies as an academic program, but that's different from what is taught in a Bible college, said Gary Ebersole, professor of history and religious studies and director of the Center for Religious Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
"We teach about religion, and we make that very clear to students," he said. "We don't teach theology, but we treat the history of theology."
The same goes for the Judaic Studies program at UMKC, said Carla Klausner, the program's interim director and a professor of history.
For example, in her Islamic and Jewish history classes, she talks about the elements of the faith and culture, "but I don't teach that this is what you are supposed to believe."
UMKC's Ebersole thinks the Missouri statute -- as well as the Washington one to come before the Supreme Court -- is not well-crafted.
"On the one hand, there is a reason why the state should not be supporting theological education," he said. "Because once the state starts supporting a theology, it either turns into a state religion or (the state) becomes obligated to support every theology.
"...In the Washington case, students can't study theology that leads to a degree. The way it is set up, you can take a lot of theology courses just as long as you are saying, `I'm not getting a degree in theology or divinity.' "
Also, the statute doesn't deal with course content, he said. If religion is studied in a social and historical context, "then that is perfectly proper," Ebersole said. "The statute needs to take this into consideration."
Bible schools
Students at area Bible colleges that teach theology know not to apply for state aid. Such is the case at Calvary Bible College.
"We don't apply for state money because we know we wouldn't be able to get it," said Randy Grimm, director of development.
But Jim Clark, Calvary's academic dean, sees the state restriction as discriminatory.
"Once accredited schools have fulfilled all obligations and all other requirements to be recognized by the state, then whatever a person is studying should qualify for state aid," he said.
"When we have graduation, the president says clearly, `by the authority of the state I grant this degree.' So why would the state discriminate because they (Bible students) are studying for a certain kind of degree?"
Clark said he and Calvary will be the hosts of Bible college academic deans from across Missouri at the end of this month, "and maybe I should bring this up."
At Carver Baptist Bible Institute students do not apply for any government aid -- state or federal, said Ned Moore, administrative vice president.
"We are private and privately supported, and taking government aid would require us to meet government regulations, which would add additional burdens on the staff and students," he said.
Kansas differs
Next door to Missouri on the Kansas side, students majoring in theology can receive state aid. Rhonda Cole, director of student financial services at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, is sure the school has students majoring in Bible and theology who receive state aid through the Kansas Comprehensive Grant.
Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan., does not have a theology major, but students can major in religion, said Jeanne Mott, director of financial aid. But that number is small, she said.
Mott said she would find it difficult to imagine that Kansas would implement a policy similar to the one in Missouri and the 10 other states.
"There is a high number of students who receive state aid," she said, "and the aid is not tied to their major....
"The Kansas Comprehensive Grant is for needy undergraduate students. It is based on financial need and their maintaining good academic standards."