( CNN ) -- A Chicago-area evangelical college won a temporary victory at the Supreme Court on Thursday over an Obamacare requirement that religious non-profits provide contraception insurance to their workers . Wheaton College objected to potential fines if it refused to provide coverage or sign a release form , saying that doing so would be morally wrong . The court said it did n't have to do either for now . The requirement in the health law championed by President Barack Obama has been challenged broadly by groups that oppose abortion . Earlier this week , the justices ruled 5-4 the government can not force certain for-profit companies to offer contraception coverage under Obamacare . The court decision staying enforcement in the Wheaton case only gives the school a pass until the matter is decided by lower courts . Still , it represents an important victory for those objecting to the socially-charged requirement and follows a similar high court ruling last year for a religious charity , the Little Sisters of the Poor . The mandate stemmed from a compromise between the Obama administration and religous-based non-profits like hospitals and faith-based universities that oppose birth control . It would make contraceptives available under the Affordable Care Act with no co-pay but give those entities a work-around through health plans written by third parties . Three justices sharply dissented from Thursday 's decision , including Sonia Sotomayor , Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan . `` It is not the business of this court to ensnare itself in the government 's ministerial handling of its affairs in the manner it does here , '' Sotomayor said . The contraception issue has been a major sticking point of Obamacare , which has been the subject of enormous legal and political controversy . The Supreme Court majority in the Wheaton case made clear it has not decided the larger legal and constitutional issues , but merely acted on the enforcement question . The issue could be presented to the justices in coming months for final review . Wheaton is a private Christian liberal arts school located in a Chicago suburb , and is represented in court by the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty . What the Supreme Court 's Hobby Lobby decision means .
Justices say college does n't have to comply with Obamacare mandate . The ruling favoring Illinois College outside Illinois is only temporary . Wheaton is an educational institution , a religious charity previously won a similar ruling . NEW : The judges issue sharp dissent to Thursday 's decision .