(RNS) — Charlie Kirk often dismissed college as a waste.   The far-right activist and Turning Point USA co-founder never earned a college degree, a fact he proudly touted in his 2022 book “The College Scam.” But in a February 2025 talk, he described one exception. “There is no place like Hillsdale College,” Kirk said . “The students are different. They’re focused on the right things.” It wasn’t just Hillsdale’s curriculum. The Christian school’s political influence, he added, had made it a “cultural powerhouse.” “The philosophical basis of this new administration is largely an outgrowth from the hard work that Hillsdale has been doing over the last couple of decades,” said Kirk. Months later, longtime Hillsdale President Larry Arnn praised Kirk at his September 2025 memorial service, noting that Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, had completed over 30 online Hillsdale courses. Arnn awarded Kirk and his widow, Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk, with honorary degrees.…