Patrick Henry College (PHC) is a private, independent non-denominational college that focuses on teaching classical liberal arts and government, located in Purcellville, Virginia, United States The first college in the United States founded specifically for Christian home-schooled students, Patrick Henry is known for its conservative evangelical Christian focus. As of April 17, 2007, the college was accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, a national faith-related accrediting organization recognized by the Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The school was founded with the help of the Home School Legal Defense Association, and now serves as the headquarters for the organization, with which it is still closely connected. The college gained much publicity in the early 2000s because of its perceived ties with the Republican Party and the Bush administration, and its high emphasis on debate and moot court. The school has also been criticized for the religious interpretations of science that all students and faculty must agree to and continually uphold.