Three Virginia students are suing the commonwealth of Virginia in federal court after being denied access to state-run tuition assistance programs because of their choice to pursue religious studies.
Backed by Alliance Defending Freedom, the students are suing the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the Virginia Department of Military Affairs.
The students, all of whom attend or plan to attend Liberty University in Lynchburg, say they have been denied otherwise available tuition assistance grants because they plan to study religious-oriented programs, including “Music and Worship.” However, they could get the grants for similar religious programs if they attended public colleges, according to the lawsuit.