Funding dispute taken to court

University Business, July, 2005

One little-known Alaskan college is in the national spotlight because of a lawsuit claiming that the school is nothing more than a Bible college that illegally received congressional "pork" funds totaling $1 million.

Alaska Christian College is affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church and has 37 students. According to recent reports, the school does not administer English or math courses, but does offer certificates in biblical studies and general studies after completing the first and second years.

The Anchorage Daily News penned an editorial criticizing the congressional appropriations, which were doled out in chunks in 2004. "Alaska's congressional delegation might just as well have put a $1 million check in the church collection plate," the newspaper ranted. But $1 million is considered a hefty sum for a college of ACC's size and critics like the Madison, Wisc.-based Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) criticize the appropriation as being a violation of the separation of church and state.

The college's president, Keith Hamilton, dismisses the group's claims, saying that it is a Christian college, not a Bible college, because it does offer courses in physical education, chorus, and the like. He says the school's mission is to help students make the transition from high school to college. The college has applied for accreditation starting in 2007.

According to Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of FFRF, a hearing has been scheduled in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, and the case is expected to be resolved by the end of this year.