GCU nursing graduate shares experience at the sued university

Grand Canyon University (GCU) currently faces a lawsuit and a fine of nearly $38 million from the Department of Education. Donna Mabry, a 2022 graduate of the Grand Canyon University shares her experience at the university. She said she isn't surprised by the Department of Education's hefty fine after her experience in the university's nursing program.

Mabry explained that while studying at the university, "everything was just constantly an issue and nursing school is stressful enough. So having that added stress was not conductive with a good learning environment."

She felt misled by university leaders. She was promised an accelerated nursing program that would be in the form of a hybrid program, half online and half in-person. However, it turned up to be an entirely online class, with the exception of labs and clinical. Additionally, she was made to take a mandatory Christian worldview class that costs an extra $800, a detail she wasn't told about upfront. Mabry said she voiced her frustrations in her end-of-the-year survey but received no response.

Mabry expressed that it made her fell like the university doesn't care about how her experience was as long as they got their tuition money.

GCU is currently appealing the federal fine imposed by the Department of Education, after the school was accused of misleading students in the doctoral program, a program which is different from the nursing program where Mabry was in. An investigation revealed doctoral students paid up to $12,000 more than what was advertised.

GCU's President, Brian Mueller, denies wrongdoing, attributing the scrutiny to an ongoing lawsuit and framing the fine as religious persecution and governmental overreach.

Mabry said she wants to see accountability and change at the university. She added that the university isn't retaliated against. They are being deceptive, got in trouble, and now they're shifting blame to someone else for what they did.