Grand Canyon University, the world’s largest Christian university, is fighting back after Education Secretary Miguel Cardona vowed to target it.
GCU came up during a House Appropriations Committee hearing this month when Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) asked Cardona how the department was tackling “predatory for-profit colleges.” It became.
Cardona did not specifically mention GCU in his response, but he did mention the school.
Mr. Cardona told Mr. DeLauro that the Department of Education is “going after prep schools,” and that the schools have “shiny brochures and great commercials, but the product is not worth what’s written on the paper.” he claimed. Mr. Cardona promised to “crack down” on such schools, citing the nearly $38 million fine he imposed on GCU last year.
“We’re cracking down not just to keep them out, but to send a message across the country that you can’t prey on students and expect to succeed,” Cardona explained.
Last year, the Department of Education fined GCU $37.7 million. claim The investigation found that “GCU lied to more than 7,500 former and current students about the cost of doctoral programs over several years.”
“GCU falsely advertised a cost that was lower than what 98% of students ultimately paid to complete a particular doctoral program,” the agency alleged.
GCU denied the allegations were true and refuses to pay the fine.
GCU is now strongly pushing back against Cardona’s latest comments.
“Mr. Cardona’s inflammatory comments are legally and factually incorrect and so reckless that GCU has no choice but to demand an immediate retraction,” the school said in a statement. Said In a statement. “He’s either confused, misinformed, or doesn’t understand the actions his agency has taken.”
The statement continued:
There are no factually supported allegations that would justify an attempt to shut down GCU, and in fact, ED has already granted a three-year extension to GCU’s interim program participation agreement, allowing it to continue receiving Title IV financial aid funds. Now it looks like this. These Title IV funds go directly to students, who can use them at the institution of their choice. More people choose GCU than any other university in the United States, but that won’t happen if ED is deceiving a small number of students as they claim.
Additionally, GCU said school officials have asked the Department of Education for evidence to substantiate claims that GCU lied to or exploited students. However, authorities have provided no such evidence.
“As Mr. Cardona’s comments confirm, these opinions reflect deep-seated biases against GCU, which are reflected in the department’s selective and punitive enforcement actions against the university,” GCU said.
School officials said they were prepared to fight the government all the way to the Supreme Court.
”[The Education Department’s] GCU-related activities go far beyond normal regulatory activities. “This is typical of the weaponization of federal agency power against private Christian universities,” the school said, adding, “This is a term often used by the ED to describe any for-profit institution it seeks to harm.” Mr. Cardona’s comments and actions taken are as follows.” According to the ministry, it is predatory in nature and designed to achieve its own ideological agenda. ”
GCU currently enrolls more than 118,000 students in its residential and online programs.
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