[6] As a Christian school, the university was granted an exception to Title IX in 2015 which allows it to legally discriminate against protected classes (religion, sexual orientation, gender identity).

As a result, numerous faculty and staff were fired, salaries reduced, retirement matching eliminated and programs closed.

In November 2022, the commission placed HLGU on probation because it determined that the institution was out of compliance with HLC requirements as a result of its financial issues, lack of autonomy of its governing board, and issues related to sufficiency of faculty and staff.

The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) since the 1986–87 academic year.

They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the North-Central Region of the Division I level.