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February 8, 2012

Home > 2009 > SeptemberChristianity Today, September, 2009
Hard Choices For Higher Ed
In a bleak economy, Christian colleges reinvent themselves.




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After nearly two decades of soaring growth, evangelical colleges and universities are seeing their fortunes turn downward, and—in a few instances—fall off a cliff. The severely weak economy is hurting private higher education as it is nearly every other business.

Heavily dependent on tuition-paying students, these schools are doing everything they can to maintain their enrollment numbers for this fall 2009 semester. The challenge is immense. Job losses and a growing inability to borrow for college are two major factors at play.

Naomi Spinella is a senior psychology major at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. Her parents emigrated from Italy to provide more opportunities—including college education—for their children. But her family had to start from scratch when they arrived in the U.S., and by 2007, her family's income was just above $20,000.

When it came time for Naomi and her older brother to enroll, her parents weren't able to afford Azusa Pacific, the school Naomi had dreamed of attending. Instead, she relied heavily on grants and scholarships, which nearly paid for her first two years. She then turned to student loans to make up the difference.

Naomi also relied on California's generous Cal Grant program, which provides grants (not loans) to qualified low-income students. More than 280,000 students expected to receive a grant for the 2009—2010 school year. Instead, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed phasing out the popular program to save more than $500 million for the state's crippled budget.

Having used Cal Grants for eight semesters, Naomi struggled to figure out how to pay for the rest of her schooling, since she needed four and a half years to complete her degree. "This last semester was a struggle," Naomi says. "The Cal Grant saved me $33,000 in the past three years, and that's hard to make up." She had to work furiously with Azusa Pacific's financial aid office—where she is employed—to arrange funding for her final year, but there was no guarantee.

"Going into my senior year, I was really afraid," Naomi says. "I wondered, How do we get through my last semester?" Azusa Pacific was able to arrange $6,000 in financing for her fourth year, making Naomi one of several students for whom Azusa Pacific has provided emergency financing. But she plans to graduate in December 2009, leaving her final semester still unpaid for.

Multiple Challenges

Naomi's story illustrates the multiple challenges facing private Christian higher education across the country. Families have seen sharp declines in household income, and the crippled national banking system and near-bankrupt state governments are unable to maintain existing aid programs.

In order to keep students on campus, some colleges have launched new strategies. Last fall, for example, Biola University in La Mirada, California, initiated a student economic response council, which created two funds. One, raised mostly through student giving, provided $90,000 to students who would have otherwise needed to drop out.

"These tough economic times have been very hard on my family, as my dad works in the financial industry," one student wrote in a thank-you note to the school. "And I most likely would have had to leave had I not been granted this scholarship."

The second fund provided $100,000 for international students who were hit by the spike in the value of the U.S. dollar. In all, 150 students were able to stay on Biola's campus because of the program.





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Displaying 1–5 of 10 comments

Anonymous

September 20, 2009  7:56pm

"Naomi also relied on California's generous Cal Grant program, which provides grants (not loans) to qualified low-income students. More than 280,000 students expected to receive a grant for the 2009—2010 school year. Instead, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed phasing out the popular program..." Popular? With whom? Those receiving free money, or those paying taxes to a bankrupt state? An ill-advised bit of editorialized word choice.

JESUS Christ1 andrew tucker

September 14, 2009  8:30pm

Psalm99:9-outside pray.Roman3:23!Purposely sin is sin.Christian supremacy!Wow a group wanting more after spoiled.Well i heard an angel say that father God is displeased.All christian groups not going out and helping. Pentecost churches, Record companies, busines. Served with big money in the usa.Served dedicated christian girls at colleges.30,000 debt is astrange decision by christians.Part timers took over and had a blast.Now dedicated christians waiting for rapture but zero help to mountain side! Remeber business,bands aint helpin much. Scared by anti christy armys.Usa gov is 100 % puke. Seriously. yea common sing rock bands,Angels yell to serve God but i dont.I like spoilism by satan.You are a failure. Aint goin teel you everything part timers and evilists. Christian girls you broke my heart.I brag on predicting, knocking on doors of anointed and true Christians!I dont have a raidio station.The Screaming jeolous USA gov.Seriuosly.Telecom can be taken over.Liar offi. IN.Go estMO.OVER

Shannon

September 13, 2009  3:08am

John has it exactly right. If evangelicals continue to tie their fortunes to the conservative movement, they're going to go down with them and destroy what little credibility they have left. Most laymen have difficulty wondering why Christ would be opposed to universal healthcare, for example.

Skip Garmo

September 12, 2009  4:09pm

An interesting article--particularly the contrasting thoughts and perspectives of Guelzo and Corts. It goes beyond the current (and ever-with-us) money crunch to basic, long-term issues. However, even institutions that are arguably on-mission, such as Moody Bible Institute, are negatively impacted by today's economic meltdown. Mission-ness is not necessarily correlated with funded-ness. As a ministry leader myself, I could wish it so!

John

September 12, 2009  12:07pm

It's been my experience, and I'm sorry it is this way, when someone start talking about "christian worldview", you should get ready to hear a lot of stuff of hard right political/cultural stuff and it's generally un "christ-like". For instance, visit Focus on the Family's citizen link website and what do you see? Michelle Malkin and a bunch of stuff that seems straight out of Human Events magazine...

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