Becoming an official student group just got a whole lot easier -- but maybe too easy.

Penn State has dropped some and eased other requirements that student organizations must meet to be accepted as a registered group.

The move was an effort to avoid a lawsuit filed last week by the Center for Law and Religious Freedom on behalf of DiscipleMakers Christian Fellowship.

Penn State originally denied DiscipleMakers Christian Fellowship registered status because it was too similar to existing organizations. After the suit was filed, the university said it would waive the uniqueness requirement for all new groups.

But the lawsuit remained active because the university has required that religious groups go through a separate review process. Not anymore.

While Penn State is keeping a requirement that forces groups to have at least 20 members to be registered, it is now possible for groups to petition to get that requirement waived. It is good that the university is trying to maintain some of its standards, but now there is just one more loophole to jump through.

The group plans to drop its lawsuit if the university fulfills its promise.

This decision may not open the floodgates for students to pursue group status, but it could come close.

Countless organizations have been denied student group status in the past because of the same requirements the university is now abandoning. They may now try again to gain registered status, and the university has set a precedent to accept them.

It appears that now, almost anyone can form a student group, no matter its size or intentions.

This could deteriorate the purpose of existing student groups. Why add another student group related to a particular topic when dozens already exist? In this case, 34 existing student groups already relate to Christianity.

With so many smaller groups having similar goals, their power and efficiency may be lost. Fewer groups with more members have a louder voice and can accomplish more with more resources.

Once the university approves student groups, they can apply for funding through University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC). If these more lenient requirements allow dozens of extra groups to be registered, funding could be cut for existing groups that depend on UPAC.

It is unfortunate that Penn State gave in to the demands of the lawsuit, rather than upholding the standards it has adopted for years.

It may no longer mean as much to be an official student group at Penn State.