A federal judge has ruled that Christian colleges cannot be excluded from a Minnesota program for requiring students to sign statements of faith.
On Friday, US District Judge Nancy Brasel sided with Crown College in St. Bonifacius and the University of Northwestern in Roseville, which require students to sign a statement of faith adhering to the school’s values and conduct. Critics argue the policy effectively bars non-Christian and LGBTQ-identifying students from participation in campus activities.
In 2023, Minnesota lawmakers amended the state’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program, which lets high school students earn free college credits at public or private institutions of their choice. The changes disqualified religious schools that required faith-based admissions tests. Parents and students affected by the rule filed suit, arguing it violated their First Amendment rights.
The court agreed, writing that conditioning PSEO eligibility on removing faith requirements infringes on the religious freedom of both the universities and the families involved.
“If the Schools’ eligibility to participate in PSEO is conditioned on not using faith statements as an admissions requirement, their free exercise in maintaining a campus community of like‐minded believers is burdened,” the court ruling determined. “Likewise, if the Families cannot obtain the public benefit of PSEO reimbursement for their children at a school of their choice of like‐minded believers, their free exercise is also burdened.”
The plaintiffs were represented by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which applauded the ruling. Senior Counsel at Becket, Diana Thomson, said in a statement that Minnesota’s actions were “shameful.”
“Minnesota tried to cut off educational opportunities to thousands of high schoolers simply for their faith. That’s not just unlawful — it’s shameful,” Thomson said, according to the Associated Press. “This ruling is a win for families who won’t be strong-armed into abandoning their beliefs, and a sharp warning to politicians who target them.”
