Grand Canyon University [GCU]
Reviews and Complaints

I began attendance at GCU June 2015 & was in continued attendance through September 2018. During this time, my Student Serv8ce Advisor ("SSA") was changed multiple times without any notice to me. My Field Service Advisor ("FSA") was also changed to different people. The only way I knew I had a new SSA or FSA was when I logged into the student portal and saw a new name under those I should contact.
Regardless of who my direct contact turned out to be, they were always willing to help as long as my grades were As or B's. Once I started to receive lower grades, they were less than helpful. If a grade of D or lower was granted in a course, the cost of that course was rescinded and I was left with a balance. For example, when I received a D in a course that they charged me $1750 for and had received funds to pay for, they canceled the payment so it looked like I had no payment for the course. I received two or three Ds during my three years of attendance so they charged me in this manner two or three different times.
At another time I sought to change my plan of study to a non-licensure seeking degree in education. I stated I was simply seeking a degree and would achieve teacher certification in another manner. After I filled out & returned the proper forms, my SSA was changed and he told me that I would not be able to change plans until finished my original course of study. I tried to withdraw from a class that did not apply to my degree and I could not withdraw. I failed that course and my payment was rescinded and I was left with an outstanding balance. I withdrew from the school with funds left and expected to receive them. I never received them and they were never refunded to my Federal loan provider. They kept my money and refused to work with me.

I have been with Gcu for almost 4 years. And have gotten the run around from multiple advisors. It feels like you are stuck in a contract and can't get out. They are not honest and it's unfair. It's my last academic year and I was Told I have No more financial aid funding to finish and they said there's nothing they can do. Of course here I am with now thousands of dollars in debt but right as I'm entering my last year to graduate I'm told you need this or you can not finish they do not tell you these things about loan limits or anything of that nature. And I am a single mother working full time countless hours of school for over 3 years and now I'm being told pay this or you won't be able to continue. This is truly unfair and I have Read hundreds of people going through the same issue. This currently has happened to me within this last week and being I do not Have the funding I'll be walking away without my degree my life my goals are truly broken and something needs to be done so this does not happen again!

I have been a student in the GCU premed program since 2017. The first year was acceptable and the workload was adequate and my hard work got me on the dean's list. Starting the second year however, my advisor had me on 6 science classes with labs, basically making it impossible for me to catch up with the required assignments and study for tests after working 18 hours every day to complete them. Upon my request to change class arrangements, I was scheduled in classes that started at the same time, neglecting the fact that it is impossible to be in two different classes at the same time. I tried to contact my advisor, who told me that this is the way it has to be and that I should not feel that I am being set up for failure. I left messages for the director of the premed program who never returned my calls. At this point, I intend to collect signatures of all students that are having the same issues and take GCU to court.

I started attending GCU in April 2016. I enrolled in the master's program for criminal justice and graduated in 2018. I feel I benefited from the program and had very little issues, so much so, I decided to pursue my doctoral degree with them. Aside from the doctoral program being demanding, which it should be, I have had no problems up until this point. Unfortunately, now I am experiencing issues with financial aid. Financial aid is received in two disbursements. I have recieved my first stipend check, however we have now just passed our second disbursement date and due to some changes in my program, I have a balance on my account that is owed to me. I had scheduled my residency for the end of April 2019 and had to cancel and reschedule because I fully ruptured my Achilles tendon. I am in a non-weight bearing cast and require assistance in daily activities. I made the difficult decision to reschedule as I currently do not know when my cast will come off and feel that my mental and emotional state is not prepared for my residency. Because of this, the money that was set aside for my residency was refunded to my account and has now been sitting there since March 27th, 2019, the day I rescheduled my residency. I received a small stipend of $299 when the second disbursement date became available on March 28th 2019. This was the leftover funds after my residency and other classes for this period were paid for. Initially, my student services counselor informed me that the refunded money for my residency may just sit on my account until my next residency in October 2019. She also said that she had seen instances were students did receive a stipend check for the refunded money, however she was not sure if or when that could happen. I waited a few weeks and called back and spoke to another counselor that told me, due to the disbursement period being over, no one would reevaluate my account until my next class starting on May 9th, 2019. At that time, he said it is possible I would receive a stipend possibly by the end of May. I then sent an email to my student services counselor for some further clarification. She called me and said that my October residency would be covered by the new financial aid package that starts in August 2019. I took that to mean that there is no reason why I should not receive the money that is currently showing on my account. She said she would keep an eye on my account for a couple of weeks and possibly issue an order to have my account reviewed. She said that her team did not have the ability to release the money to me at this time. I do not have a problem with my counselor, she has been very thorough in all things dealing with my doctoral program up until this point and I believe she is telling me what she has been instructed to tell me. I did not pursue any of my degrees for the financial aid. I love to learn and obtaining a doctoral degree has been a life long dream for me. However, I do have to pay this money back once my educational journey is over and I only want to make sure I am receiving what is owed to me so I can continue my educational journey. Due to my injury, I am currently unable to work and receive my income from my job as a caredriver for foster children. It is difficult to check my student portal every day and see that there is money sitting there that could help pay for some expenses during this time. I have accepted the way GCU handles the financial aid disbursements, although it can be irritating as it takes a few weeks for each check to be sent out. This is the first school I have attended where financial aid is not received via direct deposit or prior to the beginning of classes. I have asked why direct deposit is not an option, unfortunately that is usually answered with vague responses that do not really make sense. Aside from that, I am just looking for some answers as I feel this money is just sitting there for no good reason.

I started to see you 2013 I worked my [censored] off to get the degree. When it came time for my student placement they didn't complete the placement the only placement in one but not the other I was treated rudely and unfairly by faculty members and my staff such as my financial advisor. When I asked for a statement of how much I have left they refused to give it to me or said the financial aid office doesn't exist. Plus asking for another $3, 000 when I started the program they said all my expenses and everything would be covered.

I am in "collections" and was never advised that I owed over 2.5 k for my graduation from GCU- from the beginning, they had advised me that I was on 100 percent grant and that I should owe next to nothing for my degree because of 100 percent "financial aid" status. Now I am unable to move in my career because I need my diploma to go on to internship for education advancement. Would like to at least make payment arrangements and get my diploma asap.

I am a student and have been deciding on which university to continue my education with and I just heard through the grape vine that GCU has band Ben Shapiro from speaking at your university. This action no matter your political stance or explanation is a clear statement to students and to prospects like me that you do not care for diverse points of view. Ben Shapiro is an extraordinary educator and speaker and brings an extensive history of Judeo Christian values and insights. I will not consider or continue to discuss completing any educational degree with your University until you open your minds and stop close doors for people to learn. I am ashamed of your decision and find this to be the reason we are living in such a divided country at this time. You are not bring people together, you are putting the wedge between students that may have common ground and thoughts. I hope you reconsider and apologize for your actions. Until then I will go else where.

I think it is saddening that such an establishment would go in the face of free speech, & block a speaker with deep Judeo Christian values such as Ben Shapiro. This is counterintuitive of your mission statement: "opportunities in which the public can engage in events that involve critical thinking around the community and academic discourse" including "lecture series, competitions, and town halls" to encourage "asking questions and pursuing knowledge to avoid delusion and blind acceptance of ideas."

This decision must be given more though & I hope you reconsider the implications of your wrongly made conclusion.

I am overwhelmed and frustrated with the poor service that GCU provided for me. I had applied for a Sallie Mae loan to cover my fall semester. I waited a while for them to send the stipend check. I was going through a lot with my personal issues Apparently I had got suspended for not seeing a counselor due to suicidal. Long story short, It was something I thought I could handle and figured I didn't need to see a counselor so it's ridiculous they had suspended me over something I could handle. Anyway I am over it! So they now wanna tell me because my account is on hold they can't process the loan and won't be able to send the stipend check until the hold is removed! I had never been so frustrated my entire life and literally hate the service provided by GCU. I contacted the student services and was told to contact a different department. They had me go back and forth only to find out, they couldn't help me at all! They won't even assist me to who I need to contact in order to get what's left of the loan I'm making payments on back! I need this stipend sent back to me and GCU is holding on to it!

I have been with Grand Canyon University since April of 2016. I have earned all A's and 2 B's. I found out that my grandmother was on life support on Thursday night. My grandmother lives out of state so I dropped EVERYTHING and left that night. The last day of my class was that Sunday. We took my grandmother off life support that Saturday and I was expected to do a whole benchmark after experiencing that! I requested an extension and got denial. The teacher gave me an F! I filed an appeal and got denied for not keeping in contact. Sorry the first thing on my mind when I found out about my grandmother wasn't to call my teacher. I was too busy mourning and arranging a funeral in which my grandmother had NO LIFE INSURANCE. I am appalled by this and no longer want to be involved with a school that does not respect someone who is morning! God forbid I needed an extension! Definitely searching for a new school.

I feel like Grand Canyon University has totally fooled me and are nothing like the state in their ads on television and other media outlets. I have and issue with the fact that I as a student receiving financial aid have no direct access to a financial aid adviser but instead my student services counselor is the one to contact for financial aid issues. Secondly, the online division of the school claims to be on a burrow based academic year. The claim because of this you can not fail one class or you will not be eligible for more financial aid funds. the funny thing is the federal government allows a student 150% maximum time frame or MTF. This means that you can fail a class or two as long as you maintain SAP or satisfactory academic progress; which basically means that a students GPA needs to be at a certain level based on the amount of credits that he/she has attempted. When these initials were spoken to certain student services counselors they do not even know what those initials means. After this i had a medical reason why my attendance was not what it needed to be as far as assignments which i informed the instructor about. She never asked me for medical proof or directed me to the correct people to assist me in getting the appropriate accommodations needed to help me until the last day of the class. She told me that to apply and she will work with me. i did got approved but they do not apply benefits retroactively. Because of this she refused to take the work that was already done but could not be submitted because she locked the assignment. i had a 87 average but because of the missed assignments it brought me down to a f, just two points away from passing the class. Another issue that i have is even though my tuition affords me the right to have a tutor for my major, there is no tutor available for the Information Technology major. So if I fall behind and have a part time instructor I have to play catch with the instructor and he is never available between the office hours that was stated by him. Then hen he finally contacts you, he emails. Here is the thing, I go to an online school so the majority of it is reading. If i didn't understand reading the textbook, what makes you think i would understand via email ? I need a conversation and the school's excuse is he is part time and does not have to give his personal number out. My answer was well give him a company cell phone, Skype or video conferencing applications but that is not an excuse that i am willing to accept. Furthermore, he provided his personal number but just never answer it. The issues go on but I am sure that i have provided more than enough for right now.

I was diagnosed with clostridium difficile on 11/2/18 and septic by 11/8/18. This episide required two back-to-back hospitalizations. As I lie dying, my instructor post a zero for a major assignment. A week has passed by, and I have reached out to my instructor and counselor nearly a dozen times. The instructor is refusing credit despite all efforts to reach out to her with documentation. I have requested the class be dropped but am told I will owe the entire cost of the class. Please, someone help me!

I started the enrollment process even went as far as to fill out financial aid papers but I stopped because I was going to Odessa to roughneck. Guess what no internet access so I didn't take the class I talked to a so called advisor and supervisor who said I checked into the class. Explain to me how I do that when I had literally no cell service no internet access or anything. They r thieves and liars

My advisor, Becky Nunez has been telling me for months now that I would get my check from them. Now all of a sudden ahe tells me via email that the price of class changed and I owe money. I was supposed to have has grants, then come to find out it is loans on my credit report. And on top of that there is question of gcu's credibility? I advised her that I would be seeking legal representation for this matter. This is unacceptable.

With drew from school they owed me money at that time and now they say I owe them 2600 dollars they returned my student loan money this is the second time they have done this to me I look on line at my loans and grants and there is still money on my grants to disburse. Can not get my transcripts to change schools. Very disappointed in this school and no one can explain why I owe this. Please help would like to get my degree. Have so much loans to start paying on and no income coming in.

Basically, the programs are established, but there is a scam. The scam is associated with the end of the program where you have to use their methodologists and their content experts to include on your dissertation committee. The rub is that they charge you for 8 weeks classes and do not place any deadlines on your committee to force them to review your work. Once you exceed 4 sections of 8 weeks courses you have to pay $500+ dollars out of pocket to the school to basically have your dissertation proposal/full dissertation draft reviewed by your committee. Again, there is no way to enforce a timely response and all you can do is wait. But, the longer you wait the more times you have to pay $500+ for another 8 weeks review period to no end. They are not Christian oriented they are scammers and Daniel Smith (Director of Dissertation Studies), Michael Berger (Dean of College of Doctoral Studies), Cynthia Bainbridge (Research and Dissertations) and Wayne Schmidt (Education Program Chair) should be ashamed of themselves and possibly named in a direct lawsuit. They should have a better management of the doctoral programs for which they are all responsible as individuals and as a leadership team. Moreover, the financial/admissions representatives give you one quote for the program, but when you receive your bill you find courses are about $2000 more. I will not and do not recommend this low hanging fruit of a school to anyone else.

I have tried several times to contact someone about re-enrollment to finish my 3 classes to earn my degree in Elementary Education (BS) and no one has contacted me for assistance. I have a GPA 3.14. ..and when I last spoke with my counselor and financial aid advisors they said I had to pay 2, 000 plus dollars after being approve for financial aid $5, 600...to pay for my classes...no I did not owe they said that it was because I need show that I am willing and able to complete the classes and able to pay for school...which did not make sense to me...if I am approve financial wouldn't my financial pay for my class...smh...3 classes...and I am done... so I am still waiting and today is 10/16/2018...I emailed them on 7/12/2018 and have not heard from anyone...it is dad because I highly recommended this school to several friends and now I wish that I could take it back...GRAND CANYON UNIVERITY YOU DISAPPOINTED ME!...not sure what the problem is...but this has to stop ...is there a way to contact the president of the school before I take legal action...please help if anyone can ...my email is [protected]@yahoo.com...

desperately seeking to finish this year!

Student Services Counselor
Silny Arcia
Silny.[protected]@gcu.edu
1.800.800.9776 ext. 639.5561

Teachers are rude very rude. The disability center have you set appointments but don't take of problems so far. I am a A and B student but coming to GCU was a very poor choice indeed. They are racist, not polite, they Carter to white people and act like they are better than other students. I graduated in May 2018. I will not be ever coming back to GCU. I am very disappointed in this school.

Hello I am a new student a Grand canyon university I have not started class yet but will be on the 10th which is next week I am worried that my financial aid package won't be ready by then it still say pending review I thought all financial aid suppose to be released to pay for tuition and fees a week before school and it also states in GCU refund policy that disbursements will be disbursed in 2 disbursements one at the beginning of the academic year and one in the middle of academic year I was wondering how all this go I really need a new laptop and was hoping I can use my financial aid to get a new one before class I can tried calling no answer so I left messages and send emails no one has responded yet it been over a week now I see that my counselor has poor communication this is crazy that I can't get answers I shouldn't have to go and look at my financial aid award letter to see if it's been awarded it's so frustrating

Basically after dropping the arts from the arts and communication program I was enrolled in prior to the start of the next semester I tried contacting my financial advisor and my counselor via email through my school account they would not return my emails. So I sent another saying I would not go any further with classes till they contacted me since my primary reason for taking that program was for the arts part. Months later I'm contacted by billing telling me I owe for a semester I did not sign up for. Apparently they ignored my emails and auto signed me up for a semester I didn't know I was signed up for. Ever since then I've tried telling them and they just ignore me. And keep presueing money.