The U.S. Department of Education is fining Grand Canyon University $37.7 million, saying the for-profit Christian school misrepresented the costs of its doctoral programs. The agency says Grand Canyon University told students that enrolling in the doctoral program would cost between $40,000 and $49,000. That total was supposed to cover tuition and 60 credit hours. However, the department says 98% of doctoral students needed more than 60 credit hours to graduate.
The Department of Education disclosed the fine in a letter to university president Brian Mueller dated Oct. 31. The Phoenix-based college has more than 100,000 enrolled students, most of them online, and received more than $1.1 billion in federal funding under Title VI of the Higher Education Act, primarily for its bachelors degree programs. That was more than any other participating school.