Iowa lawmakers move to mandate students take Center for Intellectual Freedom classes amid low enrollment

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – University of Iowa students could soon be required to take classes at the Center for Intellectual Freedom — or they won’t be able to graduate.

Republican lawmakers added a provision to a massive budget bill during a 35-hour legislative session requiring University of Iowa students to complete at least six credit hours from the center to earn an undergraduate degree. The bill now heads to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk.

Democrats are urging Reynolds to line-item veto the provision.

Why was the center created?

Iowa Republicans created the Center for Intellectual Freedom to counter what they described as liberal indoctrination on college campuses.

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks even suggested naming it after Charlie Kirk, the assassinated conservative leader.

The center opened this spring. The Iowa Board of Regents has allocated $1 million in funding to start the center.

Low enrollment

The nonprofit Common Sense Institute reported student interest and enrollment was low — with just eight students in one class.

The report said enrollment is unlikely to grow unless the state mandated students take the classes, which is exactly what Republican lawmakers passed.

Democrats push back on costs

Democratic Sen. Janet Petersen slammed that idea, arguing it will drive up costs for Iowa college students and their families.

“We saw that no students really wanted to participate in that program, but this legislation will require families who are paying for college education for their kids, which is not cheap, that they would be forced to take these freedom classes,” Sen. Petersen said. “Six hours at the University of Iowa and that comes straight out of student and parent’s checkbooks.”

What about Iowa State and UNI?

The bill also affects students at Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. Those students will be required to complete six credit hours in American History and American Government.

Those two schools will decide which courses meet this new requirement, which goes into place in July of 2028.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has not yet indicated whether she will sign the bill, veto it, or use a line-item veto to strip the provision.