Current:Home > StocksGrand Canyon, nation’s largest Christian university, says it’s appealing ‘ridiculous’ federal fine-LoTradeCoin
Grand Canyon, nation’s largest Christian university, says it’s appealing ‘ridiculous’ federal fine
View Date:2024-12-24 00:05:03
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s largest Christian university says it’s fighting a $37.7 million fine brought by the federal government over allegations that it lied to students about the cost of its programs.
Grand Canyon University, which enrolls more than 100,000 students mostly in online programs, said it’s filing an appeal with the U.S. Education Department on Thursday. If it fails, the Phoenix-based school said it’s prepared to file a federal lawsuit.
In a 40-minute speech, university President Brian Mueller called the fine “ridiculous” and questioned whether the school is being targeted because of its faith affiliation. He noted that the nation’s second-largest Christian university, Liberty University, is reportedly being threatened with a $37 million fine over alleged underreporting of crimes.
“It’s interesting, isn’t it, that the two largest Christian universities in the country, this one and Liberty University, are both being fined almost the identical amount at almost the identical time?” he said. “Now is there a cause and effect there? I don’t know. But it’s a fact.”
The Education Department fined Grand Canyon on Oct. 31 after an investigation found that the university lied to more than 7,500 current and former students about the cost of doctoral programs.
As far back as 2017, the university told students its doctoral programs would cost between $40,000 and $49,000. The department found that less than 2% of graduates completed programs within the range, with 78% paying an additional $10,000 to $12,000.
The additional cost often came from “continuation courses” that were needed to finish dissertation requirements, the department said.
Mueller denied any wrongdoing. He said students were given disclosures about continuation courses and other costs. He said there’s no evidence of anything “nefarious.” He alleged: “There’s a group of people in Washington, D.C., that has every intention to harm us.”
Grand Canyon previously said it was being targeted by federal agencies in retaliation for an ongoing lawsuit the school filed against the Education Department in 2021.
The school sued after the department rejected its request to be classified as a nonprofit college. Grand Canyon became a for-profit college in 2004 when 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.
It’s considered a nonprofit by its accreditor and the Internal Revenue Service.
The university enrolls roughly 20,000 students at its campus in Phoenix, but most of its enrollment comes from students who take online classes from outside Arizona. It had 80,000 students in online programs as of 2021.
___
The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
veryGood! (64)
Related
- Halle Berry surprises crowd in iconic 2002 Elie Saab gown from her historic Oscar win
- Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke's 21-year-old Son Levon Makes Rare Appearance at Cannes Film Festival
- We asked for wishes, you answered: Send leaders into space, free electricity, dignity
- 14 Creepy, Kooky, Mysterious & Ooky Wednesday Gifts for Fans of the Addams Family
- 'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed
- Sniffer dogs offer hope in waning rescue efforts in Turkey
- The Truth Behind Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover's Confusing AF Fight on Summer House
- The Truth Behind Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover's Confusing AF Fight on Summer House
- Inspector general finds no fault in Park Police shooting of Virginia man in 2017
- Ring the Alarm: Beyoncé Just Teased Her New Haircare Line
Ranking
- Kevin Costner says he hasn't watched John Dutton's fate on 'Yellowstone': 'Swear to God'
- US Olympic ski jumper Patrick Gasienica dead at 24 in motorcycle accident
- Exxon Relents, Wipes Oil Sands Reserves From Its Books
- The science that spawned fungal fears in HBO's 'The Last of Us'
- Why Kathy Bates Decided Against Reconstruction Surgery After Double Mastectomy for Breast Cancer
- Another Cook Inlet Pipeline Feared to Be Vulnerable, As Gas Continues to Leak
- Billie Eilish and Boyfriend Jesse Rutherford Break Up After Less Than a Year Together
- Regulators Demand Repair of Leaking Alaska Gas Pipeline, Citing Public Hazard
Recommendation
-
Kristin Cavallari's Ex Mark Estes Jokingly Proposed to This Love Island USA Star
-
Actor Bruce Willis has frontotemporal dementia. Here's what to know about the disease
-
Bud Light is no longer America's best-selling beer. Here's why.
-
Himalayan Glaciers on Pace for Catastrophic Meltdown This Century, Report Warns
-
Contained, extinguished and mopping up: Here’s what some common wildfire terms mean
-
Family caregivers of people with long COVID bear an extra burden
-
Unplugged Natural Gas Leak Threatens Alaska’s Endangered Cook Inlet Belugas
-
Shoppers Can’t Get Enough of This Sol de Janeiro Body Cream and Fragrance With 16,800+ 5-Star Reviews