Public Universities get passed over for Bob Jones University

One more reason to wonder that the fuck is happening in our state government.

State lawmakers shot down a request for extra financial help for low-income students who will attend South Carolina's public colleges and universities next year.

Meanwhile, they approved $2.5 million to help low-income students attend Bob Jones University, a private school in Greenville.

The State Commission on Higher Education had requested $10 million to increase grants for some needy students attending public colleges and universities. Last year, low-income public school students received, on average, $1,158 in grants while their private-school counterparts received $3,100, nearly three times as much.

Well that's just great, the ultra-conservative religious Bob Jones University who like many other of its ilk, teach Young Earth Creationism in their science department instead actual evidence based science. Choosing to better fund a sub-par education and passing over good highly accredited schools like Clemson, University of SC and the College of Charleston shows exactly why SC remains in the bottom of the barrel in education rankings.

Michael Fair(r), who tried pushing junk science ID through last year is one of the sponsors (surprise), but don't think stupidity in these decisions rests only with the Republicans. The second sponsor is Darrell Jackson(d) a senator and ... yep a Pastor. What drives this stupidity? Religion of course. Always willing to sacrifice a good education if it gives a chance for them to push religious dogma, and who better to do that to? Those in our society whose social and or economic situation doesn't give them the variety of choices as others.

Before the legislation was passed, Shannon said, private colleges had to be nonprofit organizations, have a major campus and headquarters in South Carolina and be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Under the new legislation, a private college can meet those criteria or it can simply be a bachelor's level institution chartered before 1962 with a major campus and headquarters in South Carolina, the latter of which allows Bob Jones to qualify.

Bob Jones University is not accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It wasn't accredited at all before 2006, but in November, it earned full accreditation from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.

Bob Jones prides itself on not being accredited by secular accreditation associations and chooses to only be accredited by Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, an association that not surprisingly only accredits bible colleges. Mmmmm taste the mediocrity. With decisions like this it's no wonder that South Carolina has the education reputation it does.