Education Department recognizes Grand Canyon University as a nonprofit
Ben Unglesbee
December 15, 2025
The move ends a six-year spat over the institution’s deep financial and operational ties to Grand Canyon Education, a for-profit services provider.
Dive Brief:
The U.S. Department of Education has recognized Grand Canyon University as a nonprofit, marking the end of a lengthy and contentious dispute between the institution and the federal government that began in 2019.
Previously designated as a for-profit, Grand Canyon University split off from the publicly traded corporation Grand Canyon Education in 2018. The next year, the Education Department said it would continue treating the university as a for-profit given its deep financial relationship with GCE.
In a press release Monday, the university said that its solidified nonprofit status would expand student access to private scholarships, make it eligible for government relief funds and certain grant funding, and increase access to partnerships with donors, school districts and other groups.
