In March 2008, the board of trustees at Claremont School of Theology voted to establish a university focused on interfaith dialogue.

The purpose of the "University Project" was to create an educational environment in which representatives of the world's religions could study together and address key social problems – including religious violence.

It began creating educational programs and degrees that built on its commitment to its core tenets of fostering collaboration, civil dialogue, and addressing key social problems, but did not depend on faith, spirituality, or religion to achieve.

[6] LILP president and CEO George W. "Mac" McCarthy stated: "We are inspired by the passion of our future leaders, and believe an MPA degree from Claremont Lincoln University will empower them to effectively address challenges such as social inequity, fiscal stress, and climate change in their communities.

The tuition reduction was meant to ensure that the university demonstrated its commitment to "more affordable, inclusive and accessible" degree programs.