Education Department rescinds proposed $37.7 million fine against Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University announced Friday the U.S. Department of Education rescinded a $37.7 million fine proposed against the institution and cleared it of any wrongdoing.
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PHOENIX — Grand Canyon University announced Friday the U.S. Department of Education rescinded a $37.7 million fine proposed against the institution and cleared it of any wrongdoing.
The record fine, which was announced on Oct. 31, 2023, accused GCU of misleading graduate students about costs for several years.
“There are no findings against GCU, or any of its employees … and no fine is imposed in the above-captioned matter,” Education Department documents obtained by KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday read.
GCU President Brian Mueller, who staunchly refuted the initial accusations, touted his institution’s cooperation in a statement.
“The facts clearly support our contention that we were wrongly accused of misleading our doctoral students and we appreciate the recognition that those accusations were without merit,” Mueller said. “GCU is a leader in innovation, transparency and best practices in higher education, and we look forward to working cooperatively with the Department in the future just as we have with all regulatory agencies.”
A lawsuit against GCU by the Federal Trade Commission remains ongoing, GCU noted in its statement.
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Comments
12 Comments
You say a lot of things that don’t make sense. This is another one.
The students who attended were those who filed a lawsuit.. so claiming this was based on being a Christian college is bogus.
I truly believe they were not transparent. I wonder if the kids were aware they could receive most of those doctoral degrees for free elsewhere.
In June 2024, former doctoral students filed a class-action lawsuit against Grand Canyon Education (GCE), the for-profit company affiliated with GCU. The lawsuit alleges that GCE engaged in a deceitful racketeering scheme by misleading prospective students about the true cost of doctoral degrees at GCU. Students claim they were told the programs would require 60 to 65 credits, but most ended up paying thousands more for additional continuation courses necessary to complete their degrees. The lawsuit seeks to recover funds allegedly wrongfully taken and accuses GCE of prioritizing revenue over students’ educational progress
If you have to pay for your doctoral program, you shouldn’t go. Most universities provide it for free to qualified candidates. Even if they disclosed the actual costs i doubt they disclosed it was a bad idea financially to attend