Published: 25th July 2008, Associated Press

BOSTON - A federal appeals court ruling that a Christian college in Colorado can receive state scholarship money is the latest legal victory for religious schools seeking public funds.

The court ruled that Colorado overstepped its bounds by allowing students to use state scholarship dollars at some religious colleges, but not those dubbed "pervasively sectarian."

The case involved Colorado Christian University, whose 2,000 students must attend chapel weekly and sign a promise to emulate Jesus Christ and obey Biblical teachings. Colorado Christian faculty must sign a statement that that the Bible is the "infallible Word of God."

The state had allowed students to use their scholarships at Methodist and Roman Catholic universities, but not at a Buddhist university or at Colorado Christian, which is nondenominational.

Associated Press