Biden's secretary of education has vowed to shut down largest Christian college in the US

"We are cracking down not only to shut them down, but to send a message not to prey on students," Cardona said during an April hearing.

By Charlotte Hazard

Published: April 20, 2024 5:07pm

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recently vowed to shut down Grand Canyon University, the largest Christian university in the U.S., based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Cardona stated his intentions earlier this month during a hearing after being asked by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., how the Biden administration would shut down Grand Canyon University, referring to it as a "predatory for-profit school."

"We are cracking down not only to shut them down, but to send a message not to prey on students," Cardona said, according to Fox News.

Last year, Grand Canyon University was fined by the Education Department for allegedly misleading students about the price of its doctoral programs, which the university appealed.

In a press release, the department alleged GCU "lied" to thousands of students about the cost of its doctoral programs.

"How are you and your agency committing to increased oversight of these institutions and are there any ways in which we can shut these folks down?" DeLauro asked Cardona.

Cardona said there are different strategies such as "borrower defense, debt discharge, holding colleges more accountable, and holding higher education institutions more accountable."

He also added that the college was "preying on first-generation students."

GCU responded to Cardona's comments about the school, saying there was no factual evidence to shut down the school.

"Mr. Cardona’s inflammatory comments, which are legally and factually incorrect, are so reckless that GCU has no choice but to demand an immediate retraction. He is either confused, misinformed or does not understand the actions taken by his own agency," the school said in a statement.

"There are no factually supportable allegations that warrant an attempt to shut down GCU and, in fact, ED has already granted a three-year extension of GCU’s provisional program participation agreement that allows it to continue to receive Title IV financial aid dollars," the statement continued.