The Biden administration issued a $37.7 million fine against Grand Canyon University (GCU) after an investigation by the Department of Education found that the university had misrepresented the cost of its doctoral degree programs. The investigation revealed that the majority of doctoral students who graduated between 2017 and 2022 ended up paying $10,000 to $12,000 more than initially advertised because they had to enroll in additional "continuation courses" to complete their dissertation requirements. The Department of Education accused GCU of lying about the cost of its programs to attract students to enroll. GCU denies the accusations and plans to appeal the fine. The university has 20 days to file an appeal. GCU is a Christian school that enrolls over 100,000 students, with most studying online. While it is considered a nonprofit by the IRS, the Department of Education classifies it as a for-profit college. The university has sued the government over this classification. This fine marks one of the Biden administration's first significant enforcement actions in its efforts to crack down on schools that fail to deliver a high-quality education and prevent students from taking on unaffordable amounts of student loan debt.