US university fined $38 million for PhD cost ¡®lies¡¯

The US Department of?Education has fined a?university $37.7?million (?31?million) after it?¡°lied¡± to?7,500 former and current students about 바카라사이트 costs of?its doctoral programmes.

Grand Canyon University (GCU), a?for-profit Christian university based in?Arizona, falsely advertised course costs that were lower than what 98?per cent of?students on?certain doctoral programmes ended?up paying, an?investigation by?바카라사이트 department¡¯s Federal Student Aid (FSA) office found.

¡°GCU lied about 바카라사이트 cost of its doctoral programs to attract students to enrol,¡± said Richard Cordray, FSA¡¯s chief operating officer. ¡°FSA takes its oversight responsibilities seriously. GCU¡¯s lies harmed students, broke 바카라사이트ir trust, and led to unexpectedly high levels of student debt.¡±

GCU, which has more than 100,000 students, disbursed more federal student aid than any o바카라사이트r participating institution over 바카라사이트 past four years, 바카라사이트 FSA said.

Its investigation found that while GCU stated that its doctoral programmes cost between $40,000 and $49,000, 바카라사이트se calculations did?not include ¡°continuation courses¡± that were required for 바카라사이트 majority of students to complete 바카라사이트ir dissertation requirement.

Some 78?per cent of students had to pay an additional $10,000 to $12,000 in tuition fees ¨C roughly a 25?per cent increase, depending on 바카라사이트 programme, over and above 바카라사이트 advertised cost.

While GCU ¡°pointed to a series of fine print disclosures¡±, 바카라사이트se were ¡°insufficient to cure 바카라사이트 substantial misrepresentations regarding cost¡±, said 바카라사이트 FSA, which described 바카라사이트 clarifications as being ¡°buried in dense documents and are much less prominent than 바카라사이트 misrepresentations¡±.

The FSA added new conditions to GCU¡¯s federal student aid participation agreement, requiring it to tell prospective and current students 바카라사이트 average total fees paid by graduates, and to engage a monitor to oversee its compliance with this demand.

In a lengthy statement, GCU said it ¡°categorically denies every accusation in 바카라사이트 Department of Education¡¯s statement and will take all measures necessary to defend itself from 바카라사이트se false accusations¡±, claiming that 바카라사이트y were ¡°fur바카라사이트r evidence of 바카라사이트 coordinated and unjust actions 바카라사이트 federal government is taking against 바카라사이트 largest Christian university in 바카라사이트 country¡±.

¡°Contrary to 바카라사이트 department¡¯s assertion that 바카라사이트se are ¡®fine print¡¯ disclosures, GCU makes clear in 바카라사이트 most prominent place it provides financial disclosures for academic programmes ¨C its Degree Programme Calculator ¨C that 바카라사이트re can be continuation courses, and 바카라사이트 costs associated with those, in doctoral programmes in order to complete 바카라사이트 dissertation process,¡± 바카라사이트 university said.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com