The Trump Administration has made it clear that it will not tolerate religious persecution, with the Department of Education rescinding a $37 million fine on Grand Canyon University (GCU), the nation’s largest Christian college — a fine that was initially applied under Biden in 2023.
For context, the fine, which was reportedly the largest ever proposed against a university, was enacted by the Biden Administration under suspicion that GCU had misrepresented the cost of one of the doctoral programs they offered. However, on May 16, 2025, GCU announced that the Department of Education had rescinded the fine with prejudice.
In an article published on May 16, 2025, by Grand Canyon University’s GCU News, a university spokesperson confirmed that the fine had been rescinded, explaining that the Department of Education had refuted the claim that GCU had “substantially misrepresented” the cost of doctoral programs, adding that the dismissal stated, “There are no findings against GCU, or any of its employees, officers, agents, or contractors, and no fine is imposed.”
Responding to the dismissal of the fine, GCU President Brian Mueller said that he was not surprised by the decision, explaining, “The facts clearly support our contention that we were wrongly accused of misleading our Doctoral students, and we appreciate the recognition that those accusations were without merit.”
Continuing, Mueller stood by the university and made a case that it is “a leader in innovation, transparency, and best practices in higher education,” adding that the school’s administrators “look forward to working cooperatively with the Department in the future – just as we have with all regulatory agencies.”
In addition, according to the Daily Caller, Education Department spokesperson Ellen Keast said that the Trump administration would not “persecute and prosecute colleges and universities based on their religious affiliation,” adding, “The Trump Administration will continue to ensure every institution of higher education is held accountable based on facts – but Department enforcement will be for the purpose of serving students, not political bias.”
Furthermore, Terry Schilling, President of the American Principles Project, sent a letter to Chairman Tim Walberg of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, along with Chairman Bill Cassidy of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, on April 1, 2025, asking for Congress to investigate the Biden Administration’s “attacks” on Christian higher education, saying that Biden “used the Department of
Education to ruthlessly attack Christian colleges and universities.”
Continuing, Schilling explained that Liberty University, a conservative evangelical institution in Lynchburg, Virginia, was fined $14 million, saying that combined with the GCU fine, “These fines total more than all other penalties assessed by the Department of Education over the past seven years.” Concluding, Schilling asked Congress to “hold an investigatory hearing” looking into the Biden Administration’s “discriminatory practices against Christian institutions.”
Featured image credit: Grand Canyon University via X