Church-affiliated college offers gay benefits

News9:  ELMHURST, Ill. (AP) - A church-affiliated college in suburban Chicago is offering scholarships to students who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered.

Elmhurst College, which is affiliated with the United Church of Christ, is the first in the country to ask students on admissions applications about their gender identity and sexual orientation.

The college's dean of admission, Gary Rold, says applicants who respond that they're part of the "LGBT" community may be eligible for a scholarship that pays up to a third of their tuition.

Rold told the Chicago Sun-Times, "Increasing diversity is part of our mission statement."