Luther Rice College & Seminary, a Christian, private, nonprofit institution near Atlanta, was approved to take part in Georgia’s State Aid programs, beginning in the fall of 2025. These programs include HOPE and Zell Scholarships for eligible undergraduates, as well as high school dual enrollment opportunities.
In October, Luther Rice filed a lawsuit requesting that state officials grant the school access to Georgia’s financial aid offerings.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and supported by Alliance Defending Freedom, named members of the Georgia Student Finance Commission and Georgia Student Finance Authority as defendants.
The lawsuit argued that Luther Rice had to decide between retaining its “religious mission, degree programs, and commitment to teaching from a Christian worldview” or conforming to state rules restricting the school’s faith-based identity.
The school’s complaint stated that Georgia prohibits private schools deemed a “school or college of theology or divinity” from taking part in the state’s aid programs, even if the school otherwise fulfills all eligibility criteria.
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Maine’s state tuition assistance program could not prevent parents from applying the funds to institutions that include religious instruction.