Christian University Rakes In Federal Student Aid of over $400 Million for 2011 and 2012

You know how conservatives hate government programs and want to dismantle all of them? Apparently, that doesn’t include student financial aid, due to the fact that the money goes to students and not the college.

Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University is processing around $445 million in federal financial aid for its students for 2011-12, making it the top money-taker in Virginia, according to U.S. Department of Education data. The extraordinary figure was aided by Liberty’s on-line program which enrolled 52,000 students last year, compared to their 12,000 resident students. Liberty’s federal student aid jumped from $277 million in 2008-09 to $432 million in 2009-10, a 56% increase. President Obama’s boost to the Pell program, which the Ryan budget would take away, was responsible for much of the increase. Liberty expects to have 154 employees in its financial aid office by July. Liberty University was founded in 1971 by Southern Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell, who died in 2007. It is now run by his son, Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Robert Ritz, Liberty’s executive director of financial aid, said there was no conflict between the school’s very conservative positions and being one of the top schools in federal financial aid. He said that the school does not get the money, the students do. “These funds are authorized by Congress and Congress is elected by voters. I’ve always been in the position where I believe I’m a steward of those federal funds. I’m a steward of tax-payer money..” Ritz also said that some students refuse to take federal funds for their education, and Liberty honors that.

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