How Liberty University Built a Billion-Dollar Empire Online
For The New York Times Magazine, Alec MacGillis reports that in 2016 Liberty University, a non-profit evangelical college, netted nearly $1 billion in total revenue, much of it from federal tax dollars. Liberty’s astounding growth can be attributed to its lucrative online courses, which offer dubious educational value. Liberty has also encountered controversy due to the close relationship between Jerry Falwell Jr., its president, and President Trump. MacGillis writes, “One of the top orders of business for Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos, has been to roll back Obama-era regulations on online-degree providers.”