In July 2023, Southern Adventist University (SAU) was awarded a $3 million, five-year federal grant to support its diverse student population as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
The grant was cut short due to a lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the funding program. The lawsuit, filed by the state of Tennessee and a legal group, led to the Department of Justice declining to defend the grant program. Consequently, the funding was terminated early, causing concern among faculty about the impact on campus finances and resources.
To recap, in 2023 Southern Adventist University (SAU) became one of 615 Hispanic-Serving Institutions across the Nation. Curiously, SAU is the only University in Tennessee identifying as an HSI. Now that they have lost the funding, it raises a question “Should they have accepted the money in the first place?” Some Adventists say “No” and others say “Yes.”
“We need to stop taking government money.”
“Why is the government giving money to a Christian school?”
“Good. Its tax payers money and we not supporting them.”
'“Does this have anything to do with illegal immigration?”
“Money with strings isn’t a gift—it’s a trap. If the cash comes with control, you’re not being blessed—you’re being bought.”
“Another institution that is identified as a place for people other than white gets canceled by a bigoted administration.”
Discuss!
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