Secular Student Groups

Equal Access and Protections
Nontheist, secular student groups are entitled to the same rights and protections as other extracurricular student groups. Unfortunately, secular student groups face harassment, discrimination, and limitations on available funding and other resources that are available for religiously affiliated student groups.

Public colleges and universities are required to protect the first and Fourteenth Amendment rights of students. In secondary schools, secular student groups are protected by the Equal Access Act, which ensures that all student groups are treated equally and enjoy equal access to resources. Public schools and public institutions of higher education must also remain viewpoint-neutral toward religion and other ideologies, in providing resources for student groups.

The Secular Coalition for America is proud to support the work of our member organization, the Secular Student Alliance, to ensure that secular students have a community to call home and opportunities to advocate for secular values on campus.

Support Secular Students
Do you have students in your group, or parents with children in high school or college? Check out the resources Secular Student Alliance offers students here.

Do you have members who are professors or faculty at a school? If so, direct them to these resources. They can make a big difference by serving as an advisor to an existing group, or helping a new secular student group get started.