Frequently Asked Questions
  • About Hillsdale
    • Q:   What is the history of Hillsdale College?
    • A:   Students become part of a history that is long and great. The College was founded in 1844 in Spring Arbor, Michigan, as Michigan Central College. In 1853, the administration moved the College to Hillsdale and changed the name. Our college charter was the first to guarantee equal opportunity to black and female Americans, long before the Civil War. We sent a high percentage of our sons to fight for the Constitution in that war—more than any other college except West Point. Our commitment to these principles remains today. In 1975, a decade-long battle with the federal government over federal taxpayer subsidies began. In 1985, Hillsdale announced it would no longer participate in any federal financial aid programs, thereby freeing the College of having to abide by federal mandates and regulations that went against its historic policy of non-discrimination.
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