The U.S. Department of Education has officially retracted its proposed $37.7 million fine against Grand Canyon University, as reported by the university itself. This fine was notable, being the largest ever levied against the institution.
Brian Mueller, the president of the university, expressed his relief over this decision. He stated, “The facts are on our side, and we’ve been wrongly accused of misleading doctoral students. We’re grateful that these allegations have been recognized as unfounded.”
He added that GCU is committed to innovation and transparency in higher education and looks forward to collaborating positively with regulatory bodies in the future.
The fine had been issued back in October 2023, following a federal survey that found that 78% of doctoral graduates from 2017 to 2022 needed to take an additional course—incurring at least $10,000 in extra fees—to complete their degrees.
In response to the fine, GCU filed a lawsuit the following month. Mueller criticized the federal government for its aggressive stance against one of the largest Christian universities in the country. He also referred to the fines as “silly,” noting that Liberty University, another prominent Christian institution, faced similar threats of hefty fines for alleged underreported incidents.
Interestingly, Mueller pointed out the coincidence of both universities being targeted around the same time with similarly significant fines, suggesting a possible pattern, though he admitted he couldn’t definitively say so. This recent withdrawal has effectively closed the prolonged legal dispute concerning these fines for the universities involved.
