Campus Access Bill Ties Federal Funding to Allowing Religious Clubs to Set Own Leadership Rules

The new Equal Campus Access Act of 2025 is short, but it packs a punch for anyone paying tuition or working at a public university. Simply put, this bill makes federal funding for public colleges and universities conditional: if they want money under the Higher Education Act, they absolutely must grant religious student groups the exact same access, funding, and privileges given to any other club on campus.

The Fine Print: What Schools Can't Touch

The key change here isn’t just about letting religious groups meet—most public universities already do that. The bill goes further by explicitly telling schools they cannot deny access based on a religious group's beliefs, speech, practices, or, most critically, “what standards of conduct they require their members to follow.” This is the part that could create real tension. For example, if the school gives the Chess Club $500 for a tournament, they must give $500 to the Christian Fellowship, and they can’t challenge the Fellowship’s requirement that its leaders affirm specific religious doctrines or adhere to specific moral standards.

Why This Matters on Campus

Think about your university’s non-discrimination policy. Most public universities have broad policies stating that student organizations cannot discriminate based on things like sexual orientation or gender identity when selecting leaders or members. This bill attempts to carve out an exception for religious groups. If a campus group requires its leaders to hold beliefs that conflict with the university’s non-discrimination policy—say, a requirement that leaders be of a specific faith or sexual orientation—the university would likely be forced to recognize and fund that group anyway, or risk losing huge chunks of federal funding.

For university administrators and legal teams, this is a major headache. They are now stuck between two competing mandates: upholding their institutional non-discrimination policies, which protect all students, and complying with this new federal requirement that protects religious organizations' right to set internal standards. If they choose to enforce their own anti-discrimination rules against a religious club, they could lose federal Pell Grant money, research funding, and other critical resources.

The Real-World Stakes: Who Pays the Price?

This isn't just an abstract legal fight; it hits the bottom line. For the average student, the risk is that if a university is deemed non-compliant and loses federal funding, tuition rates or fees could rise to cover the shortfall. For students in religious groups, the bill offers a clear benefit: guaranteed equal treatment and the ability to maintain the integrity of their faith-based mission without interference from campus bureaucracy. However, for students who rely on the university’s existing non-discrimination policies for protection, this bill could weaken those safeguards by forcing the university to endorse groups whose internal policies might be exclusionary. It’s a classic policy collision, and the campus is where the rubber meets the road.