FILE – The Jerry Colangelo Museum at Grand Canyon University is seen at at dusk in Phoenix, on Sept. 20, 2017. Grand Canyon University, the country’s largest Christian university, is being fined $37.7 million by the federal government amid accusations that it misled students about the cost of its graduate programs. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The country’s largest Christian university is being fined $37.
“Grand Canyon University categorically denies every accusation in the Department of Education’s statement and will take all measures necessary to defend itself from these false accusations,” the school said in a five-page statement.
The additional cost often came from “continuation courses” that were needed to finish dissertation requirements, the department said. The Biden administration is issuing the fine amid a broader push for accountability among U.S. universities. The Education Department recentlythat could cut federal funding to for-profit college programs that leave graduated unable to repay loans, and the agency plans to give students and families more information about outcomes from all colleges. headtopics.com
The school will be barred from making “substantial misrepresentations” about the cost of doctoral programs, and if it tell students about the cost of doctoral programs, it must use the average cost paid by graduates.
For the past four years, Grand Canyon has disbursed more federal student aid than any other U.S. institution, the department said. Grand Canyon sued after the agency rejected the school’s request to be classified as a nonprofit college. It became a for-profit college in 2004 after investors saved it from financial collapse. It applied to become a nonprofit again in 2018 but the Trump administration blocked the move, saying the college remained too close to its previous parent company. headtopics.com