Grand Canyon University Comments

GCU is higher ranked than Utah State University, Weber State University and Southern Utah University and is as highly ranked as BYU and the University of Utah! That is the truth like it or not. By the way you said "If someone comes into my office to interview for a job,...." You don't have an office anymore since you were "released" from GCU a year ago! Remember? LOL!!!!

Who is the person insulting all schools in Utah? Seriously? Who would honestly choose GCU over BYU or the University of Utah? Those are great schools. Please stop with your uneducated attacks on other schools. 
If someone comes into my office to interview for a job, I value an education from a reputable school over an online degree from Strayer, GCU, Phoenix, etc.. It's not even close. 
And onto a more familiar comparison I would attend ASU or UofA over GCU. It's like comparing the Lakers to the Clippers.

I have my master's degree from GCU! I loved my educational experience! The curriculum and instruction along with outstanding professors made it a great choice. I also have graduated from a large public university (UCLA) which is far, far academically superior to that Utah State College you attended! So don't try to tell me about GCU and public universities 'Buddy'!

You are either unaware of what really happens at public universities or you are lying. Simply google the name of pretty much any university  and the phrase "pending law suits' and you will see a long list including everything from misappropriation of funds to discrimination! I pay taxes to support those types of activities? We should be outraged! You, on the other hand want to fool us into believing that your 'crusade' against GCU has nothing to do with your agenda and personal gain! You may think we don't see what you are attempting to do but we do! You have posted over thirty negative posts in this forum and numerous fake negative reviews over the past year!

I feel like Grand Canyon University is out to screw its students. There were too many lies in the recruiting process. I wonder if they train their enrollment counselor recruiters to lie. In my mind they are unethical in the way they do business. It's not like it is a public university. They make money off of us and it all starts with the way they tell you what you want to here so you'll chose their school;Then you're stuck and it's hell trying to fix the problems.

I have seen administrative service be poor at another university. I attended and graduated from a state university in California. The service was WORSE than GCU. That is no excuse however. They do need to improve administratively. That being said, the curriculum is strong, the professors are very good and the educational experience is great at GCU! I highly recommend this university!

This is an understatement. I haven't seen such poor service to students at another school. Maybe one day the school will get their act together and treat the students as a priority. Until then, I'll never attend Grand Canyon University.

I really enjoy the online experience this college has to offer; however I do not feel that the administration is as focused as the educators are. I use the military tuition assistance and it is free money for the military. They  do not even take the appropiate steps to obtain this money correctly. I hope to finish at this institution, time will tell.

Did you know that GCU is more highly rated than EVERY UTAH STATE COLLEGE according to Profiles of American Colleges 2011 (29th Edition)? Well, now you know! (How is that Utah State College degree serving you? Not so good I assume!)

I HATE this school. The online classes are awful. The program they use is not user friendly and probably the cheapest program they could buy. I have been to 4 community colleges in my long academic career and all of those schools have used better more user friendly online programs. The other issue is the online 
"participation requirements." You have to have discussions X amount of times a day with classmates, but the classmates barely speak English which makes having conversations, let alone discussions, impossible. I do not feel I am getting a good education, but I'm just going to be a teacher, educating the minds of tomorrow so who really cares. I fear I will not be prepared. Also I hate the administration. Almost all my teachers have been wonderful understanding helpful people but the admin is really just out to get your money. And the turnover at that place is CRAZY! I have not even been here a year and they have already tried to steal my money with ridiculous rules they say someone told me about. Its just nonsense. I am looking for a new college because GCU is a joke. It makes me so angry what this school is going to America, giving degrees to people who cannot even punctuate or write properly. No wonder America is a joke to the rest of the world. If you actually care about what you will be doing with your life, if you are looking to get an education that will make you good at your career, look elsewhere. This school is just one big headache.

I am about to finish my BA. I transferred from a community college and I have to say I am very disappointed. I have been through 5 academic advisers and 3 financial advisers. That is not even my biggest complaint!  My biggest complaint is how they force us to interact with people who should not be there.  These students cannot write at a college level and post the most horrific responses I have ever seen in my life on a message board.  Then, we have these group assignments and I have to rewrite the entire thing because of my group members' inability to follow simple instructions or write at a college level. I am terrified of one day having to work side by side with someone who graduated from GCU as I know now that they refuse fail people who are writing at a 1st grade level.  No joke!  Do not go here if you want to stimulated or engage in any type of intellectual conversation.  

Gcu is a supposed christian college that only cares for profit. If you are looking for a school with christian values do not go here, its just a credit mill.

Please do not attend this horrible university! You will be in debt up to your neck with a worthless degree. My experience with this school has been nothing but a headache.

Personally, I love the school as a whole. It has a nice a atmosphere, the class sizes are manageable, and there a lot of other factors that lead this school to be a school with a heart like God's.

The one thing that I could say, is that the counselors are terrible. They are usually fresh graduates from the same school, and most of them don't give a crap about our schedules and classes. 
If GCU could change this, then I wouldn't be complaining.  

Best college ever! In my final MBA class (on-line), and the experience has been great. Took me 18 months to complete, and I am done. Some of the classes were challenging, but it's what you put into it.

I have been a student at GCU for over a year now. When I started I admit the classes where a bit easy. However, now that I'm taking upper level classes I'm being challenged and pushed. I earned a degree in Media Studies from a small Midwestern university (on campus) about 10 years ago. I would compare the two colleges to be on par with one another. I would say the majority of what you read on the web is true. That being said I would be more inclined to complain then to encourage. I call it "The Bad Meal Syndrome" Your more inclined to go out of your way to complain about a bad meal or service you had at a cafe then to go out of your way to compliment it. Could bad things happen to you if you attend GCU????? Sure..... If you work hard and study will you earn a degree you can use in the real world????? Yes you will. 

I love this and I just started. My professor is so nice and she takes a lot of time with her students. I will finish and get my degree from Grand Canyon University.

HORRIBLE!!  Do NOT start here!  I feel most of the online reviews do are posted by people who work for this diploma factory.  I went to a real college for a while, and the quality of this institution is not even close!  I have had nothing but problems with GCU.  From contacting my academic advisor to the experience I have had with the financial aid department--everyone is not helpful and just after your money.  I met someone who actually stayed in the online classes until she received her diploma, and she had so much trouble finding a job.  Graduate schools also wouldn't admit her even though GCU is "accredited."  Do not fall for this trap like I did!  

This is the worst experience and biggest headache I have ever encountered.  Stay far, far away!!!

Keep up the great non peer reviews.  This is why I love it at Grand Canyon University.  No sweating from me...I would say god bless but look at what you are and the students you have.

Any company is only as good as the people who work there.  To me, that means each campus will vary, as will each college. The Tucson NP program is notably weighted down by extremely poor Administration, the Incredible Revolving Door of Academic Counselors (a new one every month!), previously described (in many forums) financial aid nightmares, and being under the thumb of control of the Phoenix Campus NP college administrators.   Despite the rhetoric, they DO NOT find your clinical or practicum sites, so good luck on that, competing with ASU residents and nursing students, and all the other for-profit nursing schools. The new administrators (about every 8 months) cannot provide ready answers because they haven't been there long enough to really know the policies, and they have to check with Phoenix on EVERYthing, so you spend literally weeks in limbo on critically time-sensitive issues.  If you looked in the bogs of Scotland in the winter, you could not find a worse quagmire to taint your life and leave your cold hard body (and cash) on the Banks of Deception. All the more sad, because you and your classmates start bright and motivated, and some of the instructors too, but by halfway through, we all just contemplate educational suicide, but we can't transfer more than 9 hours and the debt is still screwed up by a clerk with seemingly a GED from a Charter school.   So beware the GCU fast-talking enrollment machine, financial faux-aid,  and bi-polar administration if you are contemplating the GCU NP Few Years of Misery tour.  

My personal experience with Grand Canyon was horrible. The customer service department are there to destroy your finances and get all the money they are able to steal out of your pockets, it seems that you don't have any rights or respect as student. If you have a problem, you spend days trying to reach for somebody. When I tried to get tuition reimbursement I spend months trying to get the papers I needed from them and everything they sent to me was wrong. Advisers and the majority of workers don't stay long, you are always talking with somebody new . Some instructors are good, but many others want you to do complex work with very little explanation or guidance. 

I find it ironic that so much negativity makes it to the internet and yet the positive aspects of a company are forgotten.

I have worked from the time I was thirteen. GCU has far surpassed any other company for whom I was employed. While they have their issues, as ALL companies do, they work hard to improve employee and student experience using the CONSTRUCTIVE feedback provided them.

Companies are entities of change and anytime something alters the student, staff and faculty body throws a fit. It is absolutely ridiculous.

Aside from being employed at this company I am also earning a Graduate degree. The work load is heavy and not for the feint of imagination. While you are required to pay taxes on your degree the University does offer an incredible tuition program for employees who qualify. How do you qualify? You work for GCU longer than 90 days and you do your job.

The amount of complaining in this forum is indescribably juvenile. If you want to know how much your tuition is go to your Student Portal: ALL financial information is posted there. Of course, you would only know this if you READ your Student Welcome package emailed to you upon entry. Also, GCU campus is improving everyday. Each building is being serviced and security has been doubled to help protect campus denizens.

I have enjoyed this company far more than the IRS running, micro managing, perverted commenting occupations of my past.

I completely agree as a former student and 3 year employee the school will not Fail any student in the first 2 courses, no matter how poor you write or how little you contribute, Why?  because the school wants to get paid and keep their enrollment numbers up!  Then the student hits their 3rd course and reality sets in and they are unprepared. Many can't write and probably should not even be in college without some remedial courses first. The school is motivated by Money...bottom line.  Profit.  They leverage the "Christian" banner but are far from any Christian values and are out to enroll anyone and everyone and take your money.

I knew it!  I am still wondering how many of these people get to upper level courses.  They should NOT be there.  The message boards are atrocious and it infuriates me that I cannot have a decent conversation due to their inability to communicate properly.  Most of these students would not last one semester at a non-online college.   

I regret ever attending GCU. The advisors are mere post grads that have "higher than thou" attitudes, and most of them drink and smoke...that says a lot about the quality of Christian education you'll be getting from that school. The secretary thinks that she has some kind of high position and will do whatever she can to not let you see your advisor. She loves the fact that she has the "power" to deprive students a chance at an education just because she graduated from a community college. The library is some little tool shed that they threw desks into and smells like the carpet is molding. You probably will never get any studying done anyway because they put speakers the size of those tower speakers you see at big concerts right next to the window of the library and throw concerts almost every week. The class rooms are a little bigger than my walk-in closet. The teachers greatly favor ass kissers and will reward you greatly for being fake. If you want an easy A, just go to Dr. Arford's class go and tell her that her pink glasses are pretty.

I have nearly completed the RN to BSN program and will be going directly into the MSN program.  This has been nothing but a positive experience.  This is not for the undisciplined student who cannot manage time and meet deadlines.  The workload is comparable to any RN-BSN completion program, which means this is not a "skate" course.  You will write a paper each week, work on group projects, and complete Power Point presentations.  If, however, you are mature and intend to work each class is only 5 weeks long.  No matter how "bad" one thinks the class is, one can handle anything for 5 weeks.  My only complaint is that the financial and academic counselors rarely return calls or emails.  However, my admission counselor is fantastic and when I contact her about issues that are not in her area, she always follows through and ensures actions by others.  It's college, people.  It's a lot of work, but the rewards are there.  Quit whining and study!

I am in a doctorate program and it is the BEST ever. Really professional support and direction. This is my second degree (MA Special Education) and it has been an incredibly useful learning experience.

They are horrible! I was attending for a MA in Secondary Education. They had their field adviser quit and did not tell me. This caused the school I was student teaching for to kick me out. GCU blamed me haha! What a horrible school. Stay FAR AWAY! Now because I was mad about their mistakes and told them how shizzy they were, they are expelling me. What a crock of shiz.

The best academic decision I ever made was to attend GCU. The professors were great and the office staff was caring and always gave me the attention I needed. The degree program itself was outstanding. The Master's required about 20 hours per week of reading, researching and writing.  It is a university that will test your academic skills. However, if you want an outstanding graduate degree program and you are not afraid of the workload and being academically challenged, then this is the school for you! You'll love it!!!!

This school was absolutely the worst experience of my life.. and I've been through a lot of things. I was switched advisers about 10 times.. no kidding.. no exaggeration. I was overcharged for a class and they would not send an official transcript to my employer because they were saying I still had a balance. That waS IN APRIL. It is still on there! I am now finished and cannot get my certification paperwork finalized until that is taken care of. The staff is absolutely horrendous. Only about one person out of 50 have done their jobs and done them well, and unfortunately that person left. I don't even care about the tuition, it was the staff that was awful and made the experience absolutely horrible. I seethe every time I think about everything I have dealt with the past couple years. They kept adding classes and switching my program. Listen, I am a teacher. I am a very thorough person and work hard for everything that I do. I'm not exaggerating. DO NOT go to this school. You will be in for nothing but stress and frustration. You will constantly have to monitor your own account and make sure all is in line, and it won't be. These are promises. You'll be completely powerless especially if taking online classes. Don't even think about going to this school. I know you may have read other remarks, positive and negative, but this one you should take to heart. I even had my state representative involved and my father (whom I'm receiving VA benefits from). Make good choices. Don't go to this school.

It is called an increase in tuition. Every single university does this. In California a couple of years ago the University of California System (public) increased the tuition by 30% in one year! 

we were misinformed about fees and discounts.  Now my wife is almost finished with her masters and they tell us the school made a mistake.  We owe almost $1600. It's called bait and switch.  I will not stand for it and I am interested in knowing how many other students have been taken by a higher fee increase after getting over half way through the program. 

The vast majority of GCU students and graduates love the university! End of discussion!

This is an interesting comment board. You have someone affiliated with GCU responding to all not-so-complimentary posts about GCU's background. You also have past students, current students, past employees and current employees posting there experiences and opinions.
I worked at the school from 2007 to 2008. I wouldn't be able to tell you everything negative about the school because there's not enough room to post in here.
If the public saw what I saw this school would not be in business today;they would force a closure immediately. 
I am ashamed I worked there. I am  sorry if you are a student who was convinced to attend via a strategy of 'finding your pain' and making you feel you couldn't succeed without attending the university. To this day, I wonder how they got away with their enrollment process. 

I was going thinking about going to GCU,I am very scared I am going to stop everythings and find another online university. I am try to finish up my teaching degree.

You're pursuing an advanced degree and can't assemble a cogent sentence.  Whose fault is that?

GCU is great! If you want an excellent education go to GCU!!!! I loved it there and I believe you will as well! Don't believe the negative reviews and comments being written by one 'man' under various names. Believe U.S. News & World Report, CNN Money, Fortune Magazine, Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, OEdB, etc. that have all published facts and figures that support what I say. The former employee that is responsible for the mis-information in this forum relies on blogs!

I had horrible experiences with GCU. Their recruiting people would call me every day, over and over. I told them I was not interested and they kept calling. I knew by the way they didn't respect what I said that it was not the school for me.
I want to know how they get our numbers? I never requested information from them!
From what I have read online about the school, I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. There are too many negative reviews, including this site. Please don't let them push you around.

Let's look at the gainful employment question. Why should for-profits be held to that standard if non-profits aren't. Our tax dollars support those institutions. 

Let's look at an example. The former counselor from GCU has said that he was released from his office job in Utah ( I suppose a 'branch office'. I would also venture to guess that he has never actually been to the GCU campus). He has also told us that his lofty position paid him under $40,000 yearly. He has also 'proudly' told us that he holds a bachelor's degree in business from one of the Utah public universities. 

Since the national average yearly income for bachelor's degree holder is $54,500 putting him a huge 36% below the national average, shouldn't he be able to sue his alma mater since he did not attain gainful employment?

This is what you should know about GCU and the Dept of Education:
The Education Department includes several early conclusions:

-  Federal officials want more information about Grand Canyon's compensation plan for enrollment counselors. Under new, tougher federal rules, schools can't base admission workers' pay on how many students that they enroll. But at the time of the program-review period, Grand Canyon had a policy that allowed some of the pay counselors receive to be based on enrollment figures, a practice that was allowed at the time under a "safe harbors" provision.

-  The University's Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies programs was not eligible for federal financial-aid funds because it did not prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized field. The school said it is pleased that the allegation, which at one point focused on all its liberal-arts programs, now only impacts one.



Read more: www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2011/08/29/20110829university-addresses-review-sec-filing.html#ixzz1WvkTWAzh

Your comment about student loan debt and not obtaining gainful employment was funny. Obviously since GCU has a student loan default rate which is 3.4% (about half the rate of non-profit universities and one-third the rate of other for-profits) graduates take their superior education and highly regarded GCU degree into the job market and get high paying positions. You keep trying to divert attention with 'misdirection blogs' filled with whinners and excuse makers. It is not working! People are smart enough to look through your smoke screen.

You obviously did not read my post dated August 26. GCU has one of the lowest student loan default rates in the country. Now why do you think that is?

Grand Canyon University does have some struggles right now. I decided to do my own research after reading these posts. You do not want the Department of Education finding that your programs are lacking. Gainful employment rules help us as consumers and students. We don't want thousands of dollars of student loan debt with a lower chance of obtaining a career path.
Is anybody else getting the vibe we won't see many of these online, for-profit schools in ten years? Each day we read of more issues or litigation with them.
If you want to read some interesting articles, type for-profit schools and gainful employment into Google. After you can search a particular school by entering the name of the school into the search. 

The former 'counselor's' reviews are all sounding the same. They are generic and non-specific. The pattern goes lie this:
1. Call it the 'worst' place on earth
2. Complian about office staff
3. Suggest a 'caring public university'
4. Be as vague as possible

All of the above are completely contrary to my experiences. GCU is:
1. A caring environment where office staff do everyhing possible to be of help.
2. Is one of the BEST educational experiences of my life.
3. I graduated from a top 25 public university in California. Believe me the office staff couldn't care less according to my experience. Steer clear of public institutions if you can. If you check the academic rankings, 84% of the Top 25 universities in the U.S. are PRIVATE universities. Therefore I would say go private if you can!!!!

Here is what you should do:
1. Check Barron's Profiles of American Colleges & Universities 2011 
GCU is rated 'Highly Competitive'.
2. Check OEdB! GCU is highly rated.
3. Check CNN (Money). GCU's Online Business Entrepreneur Program is ranked in the top 5 nationally!
4. Check U.S. News & World Report has GCU's student loan default rate at 3.4% compared with 6.0% at non-profit universities and 11.6% at other for profits. 

These are all highly credible sources. Do not make the mistake of buying into the former counselor's 'blog sources'

It is very unfortunate that the former enrollment counselor is so filled with hate! He is obviously not objective nor does he do his homework before posting his dribble. Here are the facts:

In the case of GCU, there is a lag between initial borrowing and subsequent graduation that artificially inflates the university's borrowing to credential ratio. 
( educationsector.org)

Your quote below from insidehighered.com was based on a research study done by educationsector.org. If you had done your homework and followed up you would have seen this. It is also possible that you did follow up but intentionally left this important information out to make GCU look bad. I wouldn't put it past you. 

Here are some more facts for you to chew on:

GCU's tuition is $8,250 per semester for 12-18 credits. I will do the math for you. 
That is $16,500 per year for tuition.(gcu.edu)

The average tuition at a private university is $27,293. 
That means that GCU's tuition is $10,793 less than the average.
These figures come from the Collegeboard.com

Given the fact that the student loan default rate at GCU is a mere 3.4% compared with 6.0% for non-profits and 11.6% for for-profits, GCU is an educational bargin (given that it is a private university). In addition, GCU extremely low student default rate we can only conclude that GCU grads go onto higher paying positions which allow them to repay their student loans.

All in all, I would say that you have made yourself look very bad in this forum. You have used sources such as blogs and wikipedia which are not credible. In addition, I believe that you have either not done your homework and are grasping at straws in attempt to make GCU look bad, or
you have intentionally left out important information. I have clearly demonstrated that in this post.   

Sorry ! Your source is not credible. Didn't you learn about not using sources like Wikipedia, blogs etc. in college? I guess you didn't attend college. In any case, if you would have used a credible source, you would have found that the average student at GCU takes on $10,072 in student loan debt during the four years at the university . A total of 57% of the students are getting federal student loans. GCU had one of the lowest default rates on student loans in the country at 3.4% compared with 6.0% for non-profits and 11.6% at other for-profits (U.S. News & World Report).  The reason for such a low default rate is the fact that the superior education at GCU allows the graduate to attain high salaries in the work place hence allowing for repayment. The unfortunate fact is that blogs & wikipedia, where you get your information from , are not credible. Sorry former enrollment counselor! 

The legal action that you are referring to was legal action concerning a mere legal dispute with some fired clerks. That is all. For-Profits should absolutely have access to federal student loans just as non-profits do. You are wrong once more.GCU's superior education allows graduates to obtain high paying jobs which gives them the capacity to repay those loans. That is why GCU has one of the lowest default rates in the nation at 3.4% according to U.S. News & World Report! That is far below the default rate of non-profits which stands at 6.0%! Those are the facts from a credible source. You are very confused and blinded by hate and bias that you cannot explain these facts away! GCU gives it's students an excellent education which translates into large salaries in the market place. When will you move on and find other employment?

This article has nothing to do with GCU nor does it mention GCU. Your blogs and other ' sources' are meaningless! I have provided U.S. News & World Report, CNN as well as Fortune and Money Magazine as credible sources. You have provided blogs! 

GCU is mentioned twice in the article. So many for profit schools have been sued, including GCU. We are talking about our tax dollars and it affects us. Go to the top of page 6 and the bottom of page 8 to see GCU mentioned. 
I'm all for for-profit schools as long as government loans can't be used there. That would fix the problem.

Dear Former Recruiter;
You are trying to tell us that all for-profits are the same when they are clearly not. I have provided credible sources that have hailed GCU as an outstanding university that provides an excellent education that results in high salaries for their graduates. I have provided sources such as U.S. News & World Report, CNN, Money Magazine, Fortune Magazine, etc. that refer specifically. You on the other hand provide blogs ad your sources with crying, whinning and complaining by those that could not hack the demands of the curriculum. The last web site you provided speaks in general terms about some universities; not all. So, once again you have failed to provide us with anything substantial but your bias which stems from you being asked to leave GCU. I amamazed that you are still here posting your trash after almost two years now!

CNN & Money Magazine, two highly credible sources, have rated GCU's Online Business/Entrepreneur Program in the top five in the Nation!  Read it at CNNmoney.com
Again, the choice is yours! You can read the blogs suggested in this forum by the former recruiter ( who was 'released almost two years ago and has nothing better to do with his time but complain in this blog)  or you can read facts from credible sources such as U.S. News & World Report, CNN, Money Magazine & Barron's Profiles of American Colleges & Universities! 

More blog bs! U.S. News & World Report says GCU has one of the lowest student loan default rates in the nation including all non-profits! Since the education you get is superior and top notch ( providing you can hack the academic demands put on you) you will land a great position! This translates into GCU grads having the financial capacity to repay their loans! Now I ask you, who are you going to believe? Will you believe a disgruntled former ' recruiter' who is blowing off steam in a blog crying, complaining, whinning blah, blah, blah or will you believe a credible journal like U.S. News & World Report?

You are completely correct! That joker wants to cite 'ripoff report' as a serious source! It is a blog! Nothing more! Everyone knows that has any academic background that you don't use a blog as a source since blogs are not credible! You, on the other hand, cite U. S. News and World Report ( a respected journal) to make your point. Who cares if Joe Blow crashed and burned during his studies at GCU and dropped out? Who wants to read his excuses for failing? What do we expect him to say after not being able to hack it? I want facts and figures from credible sources like you have posted!  Excellent work. Your point is well made with real information that people can use when deciding to attend GCU. The fact that their student loan default rate is half the national average of non-profit universities says a great deal about GCU. It does indicate a high salary placement or promotion which results in the ability to repay!!!

Facts from U.S. News & Workd Report:

Loan Default Rates:

For-Profit Average = 11.6%
Non-Profit Public Universities = 6%
Non-Profit Private Universities = 4%
Grand Canyon University =. 3.4%

GCU degree = high paying position = ability to pay back student loans

It is a simple equation!!!!

The choice is simple: you can use 'ripoff report' as a source of information about  or you can use
U.S. News & World Report! Using 'blogs' you get a lot of people who have failed to complete their studies ( blah, blah, blah). You get the real story from a real source. Now, the facts are that GCU is a great school! Graduates go on to get well paying positions in leading fields. The evidence is the fact that GCU has one of the lowest loan default rate in the nation! Check out a real source:

usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2010/09/15/loan-default-rates-at-prominent-online-universities

ripoffreport.com/private-schools/grand-canyon-univers/grand-canyon-university-grand-50b54.htm


Do your research so you're not deceived by GCU.

GCU's student loan default rate is less than half the national average for non-profit universities and one quarter that of for-profits! How can that be? Simple! The quality of the education is high and employers respect GCU. The education you receive allows you to land high paying jobs or get advancements/raises. This puts them in a financial position to pay off their student loans hence the extremely low default rate!!!!

People who are writing fake negative posts need to do their research before posting! GCU has only 8 & 16 week sessions. Check it yourself at gcu.edu (university academic calendar). You would think that these liars would at least get their information straight. 

GCU has 8&16 week sessions according to the gcu.edu website! Check the academic calendar!

You are probably not telling the truth in my opinion. To begin with GCU has 8 week sessions, not 6 week sessions. You also are not giving us the entire story! In addition, you made errors in your post!!!!!!

Do your research before you make false claims. Read the first paragraph where it mentions the 6-week sessions. 
christiannewswire.com/news/369829901.html

Your story sounds fishy. You are not related to the dismissed clerk from Utah are you? 

GCU screwed me over so well with my Federal student financial aid. GCU paid classes way ahead of time making sure that they got paid. Meanwhile I have absolutely no control over my tuition, my schedule (2 times I was signed up for 2 sections of the same class and they were both paid for way ahead of time, so GCU got paid twice.) I was able to unregister for 2 classes due to family obligations taking my attention, but those classes were already paid for remember. I was told by my finacial aid advisor that I would have to pay for them again when I went back to take them for real. They must have kicked me out of school because nobody calls me or returns calls and they are trying to collect on a Balance Forward (money that is in my account) How do you pay them money they already have?  And then they have made bogus reports to the IRS of figures that look like nothing I have seen on my school web pages. They are perpetrating FRAUD all over the place. I now have a 3rd party collection agency after me.  So GOD DAMN GCU TO HELL ! ! ! 

Outstanding experience without the religious propaganda! I highly recommend this university if you are interested in getting a great education in a caring environment!  

First of all the first thing I have to say is I love my first class.  With that being said the rest of the GCU experience has been traumatic.

I came from a homeless situation and at the rate I am going will be there again.  The lack of compassion given to me was anything but Godly.  When it comes to the money they will go secular on you.  I would only recommend you go online if you have money and if I had not had such a bad experience I would have recommended the campus route.  

If you can take a rude or untrained group of people then you have your University.  I am here for the Biblical training and surprisingly enough I a getting it from the staff more than anything else.  I am waiting for my financial aid to go through which they said would take six weeks and instead of me getting transcript they would do it.  My six weeks is almost up and I will see.  

If I had of stayed on campus instead of going online and the benefits would have been great.  They worked on me and worked on me like a telemarketing company until I was in school, online and early.  I planned on going in August and started in June.  No one told me I would loose everything and that online and campus are two different entities.  In replacement of all the benefits they slick talked me out of I received a $750 bonus for going to school early.

There was no God in this and I came for the Ministry degree.  What did I get from this the understanding of why Jesus was always fussing at the so called believers.  Money is what is important and if you believe anything else you have been deceived. As it was put to me , I cannot say it is Grand Canyon's fault.  I agreed to it.  Made me feel as if I had just been mentally raped.

I love God and Jesus and I also believe every religion has its good and its bad but to use God for ill gotten gain is anything but Godly or even humane.  

Once again I state I love my class and my professor is great, but everything else has been a nightmare.

I few helpful tip:
1.) Do not go online if you are seeking those grants they promised.

2.) Do not start a class until you actually have financial aid.  I owe as of now over $2000 for a class and still no funding.

3.) If in it for ministry find a ministry school there is a difference.  

4.) Ask all the questions you can and do not believe them when they say they are thinking of your interest.

Great school! Flexible schedule. Instructors work with you. I am about to go in vacation and asked my professor to see how i could those two weeks off from school. She is well to work with. She gave me the option to finish before or right after my vacations. Pretty happy with the course so far. I just start in May 2011. I have had a great experience the classes demand homework due every week and participation plays major role since these are online classes they want participation. I would recommend this school. So far the instructors are easy to work with and give great input on assignments. The academic counselors are also courteous and guide to every step of the way! Way to go GCU!

I attended GCU and obtained my BS in Business. I am an older student and waslooking for a college that would allow me to work take care of my family and complete my degree. This college provided all of that and more! I am currently completing my masters at a traditional university and I can tell you that the course work at GCU prepared me well for this next phase. I have read some of the other reviews especially the negative ones and all I can say is this; I could tell which students we applying themselves and those that were slacking or coasting on the coat tails of others. 
My advice is as follows: if you are serious about obtaining your degree and growing personally in the process, then GCu will suit you just fine. If you are looking for aa paper mill don't waste your time or money because you will find everyone to blame for your lack of committment to the endeavor.
If I have any complaints it would be working with the counselors, but I found that if you establish clear expectations at the beginning (bot parties) there were no problems after that. I had a great experience and actually flew to Arizona for graduation. I have never been so proud of myself and am a proud graduate of GCU!

GCU is a great university! My experience was terrific. The professors were wonderful and so was my counselor! Keep up the great job GCU!!!!!

These guys are sharks. They just want the student loan money. 

I dropped a class because I found a better program, for less money. Since I had e-mailed the teacher to tell the teacher I was dropping the class, they say that means I took the class and are charging me $1400. 

I had already taken two classes from them. The curriculum was okay. The teachers were a mixed bag, but I'm not sure they read my work. I got A's on everything and I guarantee I could find issues with my papers. 

Don't go here if you don't have to, and watch your wallet if you do go. 

I have been a nurse for 25 years and went back for my BSN, going to GCU was the WORST mistake I have ever made. They make false promise, the acedemic counselors are a joke, especially Jason. I was told I would be able to use CEUs to transfer in, have emails as documentation 2 weeks before grduation, without any notice they changed their policy! It have been 2 weeks, I have no answers, and I am in complete LIMBO, other employees I work with are in similiar situations, Im telling you FIND ANOTHER SCHOOL!

Great experience! I loved the caring environment! 

GCU has a student loan  default rate of 7% compared with other non-profit universities of 12.5% and 25% for other for-profit universities!

My friend says that the Utah State College he went to was a horrible experience not to mention the fact that it is very lowly rated! 

IT IS GOOD THEY GAVE SOME OF THE MONEY BACK! THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT OTHER STUDENTS ARE STILL PAYING OFF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF STUDENT LOANS BECAUSE OF DISHONEST RECRUITING TACTICS. I READ ABOUT THE 5.2 MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT. NOW MAYBE IF THEY GIVE AWAY THOUSANDS OF OTHER FREE SCHOLARSHIPS IT WILL EQUALIZE.

IT IS GOOD THEY GAVE THE MONEY TO THE COMMUITY SO THE 'LESS FORTUNATE' KIDS COULD ATTEND COLLEGE. I PRAISE THEM FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP! MORE UNIVERSITIES SHOULD BE LIKE GCU. 

I love GCU! The professors are great and the entire campus atmosphere is one of caring and compassion! 

I have to agree with you completely. The facts are that GCU is a fine university with high rankings! The financial aid issues have to be addressed but the actual learning environment is top notch! 

I am a current GCU student and am really puzzled by all of the negative talk about the university. It seems that most complaints come from financial aid issues, not receiving refund checks, overpayment, etc. I have had none of those problems. Online education requires a high degree of independence and a dedication to hard work. If your sole purpose in attending an online university is to get a check every few months, that is probably your first problem.

If you can focus on your studies and actually make a valid attempt to learn something, you will succeed and most likely not have to deal with and/or complain about these petty issues. GCU is not at fault for your incompetence. 

Until I came to Arizona I never would have believed a, black person with me being black, when they said that things were different and I did not know.  I had never experienced many things,until one day I walked into M&I bank.  I went in of February 4, 2011 to get some funds out of my school debit card and they made it seem like they could not get it to go through.  Now what they were really doing is gathering together the head office and the police.  When the police got there they made me drop my bag and handcuffed me in the lobby. I just came in to get funds to pay my rent.  They never apologized and even made it sound like my license  may not be valid, yet gave it back to me.  I was racially profiled and if not had seen it for myself would have continued to believe that it was a thing of the past.  I knew about racism but no one had ever done that to me.  They got of free but his words still ring in my ears, "They were going to take you to jail but I stopped them.  You should be happy about that."  I am what most people think is to clean and he is telling me this, like I was some dog off the streets.  That is when I got a new found idea on racial bigotry.  Just because you don't experience it does not mean it is not going on.

I am grateful that you had a good experience but all of us do not.

The post about the bank was a reply to a statement.  I am trying to let people know just because they have had good experiences, all of us have not.  I am not trying to state they are bigots.  Just using example to get a point across.

It is nice to hear that there are some decent people in GCU.  My problem is with all the stuff going on around me I can only see it in my Professor right now.

Hi, 
I believe GCU is a great school I have done extremely well in our online classes even though I was out of school for over twenty years

You are absolutely correct! I have had an excellent experience with GCU as well. The university has wonderful professors in the education department. I highly recommend it! 

I currently attend GCU. I am graduating this May with a BS in Accounting. I am glad I made the decision to attend this institution. I don't know why so many people hate on this school.

I attended California State University San Marcos, before transferring to Grand Canyon University. Unfortunately, I could not finish my undergraduate degree at CSUSM because they don't offer certain accounting classes online, and I had to relocate because of military orders.  At CSUSM I was able to take a couple of online classes, and I found that the level of difficulty is similar to GCU. I found that instructors at both institutions provided the same amount of feedback. I have, however, found instructors at GCU to be quicker to respond. 

My only issue with the school is that it is a for-profit entity, but I understand the need for investment funds to keep the school flowing. Maybe they will eventually go back to non-profit status?????? Who knows. 

To cut to the chase, any university will be what you make it out to be. Work hard, study, put 100% effort and you will benefit.  Yeah it's no Harvard, but Grand Canyon University does give you the tools you need to succeed, but you have to do your part.  Good luck! :) 

GCU has been a great experience. Unfortunately there are far too many people in our society that are flakes and finger pointers. They simply are not willing to accept responsibility for their actions (or in-actions). I am sick and tired of them carrying on and on, not just in this forum but in all of the forums at this website! My advice is simple; take responsibilty for your failures and stop blaming others!

Does anyone have information or experience with the quality of the  health care management online degree program at G.C.U. Thanks

The Professors at GCU are great, but the financial aid staff really needs to get their act together, I would not recommend GCU to anyone who is looking for good tutition rates, and expect prompt service from the financial aid staff when you plan to transfer. It has been a month since I have finished my last enrolled cours, and I still do have my financial aid clearance to attend another school. This is SAD!

I highly recommend this university to all of my colleagues wanting to earn a Master's in education. Simply outstanding! 

GCU money hungry? Really???? Read this!

GCU gives to the community: "The Promise"
www.azcentral.com/news/articles/grand-canyon-university-children-free-education.html

"Grand Canyon University would offer all 62 of the second-graders full scholarships to the school. They would be called 'Sydneys kids'l

I had the exact opposite experience! I never was over charged and never waited on the phone or argued with anyone. I think the previous poster is lying! I strongly recommend this university! 

If I didn't know any better I would think you are a poster for GCU.  How can you state a person is lying solely on your experience. We do not get the same experiences.  I am taking my first class at GCU and it says get all the facts before you make a fool of yourself.  In law it teaches us that also.  Were you there, did you get any of the facts or are you just slandering someone.  If that is what the student believes then find a better way to prove him wrong.  Don't defame their character.  That makes you look guilty at least that is what my law and psychology books say. 

I have strong suspicions that this school has a financial scam in place. They are VERY pushy and have way too many financial descrepancies to be accidents. example- I paid IN FULL and then 3 months later owed $300 for sales tax (why would sales tax tack on AFTER payment????) and I was charged the wrong amount per credit hour. I would strongly recommend going elsewhere for your educational needs unless you are willing to keep a constant eye on your account and spend countless hours on the phone arguing with people and leaving unreturned messages.

I'll be starting my Bachelor's in Secondary Education on February 14th, 2011 and so far, so good. I don't have any complaints about my enrollment counselor, Brian. He has been very helpful with any questions I have and also in dealing with anything that comes yet. I have yet to speak with my financial aid advisor and academic counselor so we will see how that goes. Hopefully just as smooth and easy as the enrollment process. :)

I attended Pennsylvania State University for graduate school as well as GCU (in two different subject areas). I found the courses at GCU to be just as challenging and required more work/hours per week. The typical class at Penn State required one term paper (10-15 pages) as well as one presentation (20 minutes)as well as textbook readings and discussions. My workload at GCU included weekly papers of 10-15 pages, textbook and journal article readings as well as classroom discussion. Although the workload was heavy I feel that it was certainly worth it. I learned a great deal and with my master's degree from GCU I am earning $40,000 per year more! I highly recommend Grand Canyon University.

They needed a huge tax write off! GCU does not care about people. Its all about the benjamins.

Don't believe these positive comments about GCU. Look deeper, think about it. GCU is a for profit school. Their counselors are sales people. If you do not have money they will not care about you. After you pay, they stop caring because the sale was made. I have experienced all of the negative comments about GCU first hand. Horrible experince and a total waste of over $10k. Buyer Beware!!! Get everything in writing and read the fine print, as it has a tendancy to change in favor of their profit margin. Google "GCU complaints" and see just how many agree.

I am currently attending GCU online. This university is very excepting and understanding of all people with different backgrounds and lifestyles. I happen to have a felony on my record from when I was in my late teens and I have been blogging about my experiences for over year with dealing with the daily struggles that I face with a felony conviction. I had no idea that I was able to qualify for financial aid with a felony conviction, but GCU had not problem helping me apply for financial aid and admissions. I was granted financial aid and was excepted by GCU after explaining my situation. I am now in my third class and have been doing great. I love GCU so much that I even advertise for them on my blog and write about my experiences frequently. You can check out my blog at www.exfelongirl.com. 

IT IS GOOD THEY GAVE SOME OF THE MONEY BACK! THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT OTHER STUDENTS ARE STILL PAYING OFF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF STUDENT LOANS BECAUSE OF DISHONEST RECRUITING TACTICS. I READ ABOUT THE 5.2 MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT. NOW MAYBE IF THEY GIVE AWAY THOUSANDS OF OTHER FREE SCHOLARSHIPS IT WILL EQUALIZE.

GCU has once again demonstrated that it is indeed a community leader here in Phoenix. I am very proud that we have such a fine institution of higher learning in our community. Giving those  62 full scholarships really demonstrates GCU's commitment to this city and state! Thank you GCU! 

This is amazing!!! GCU gave out 4 million dollars in tuition to these 62 students. This is what we need more of in our society; universities that care enough about those who can't afford college to give them full scholarships. I was truly touched by this act of kindness! Those in this forum must feel very ashamed and foolish for having said that GCU is 'out for the money'. Really???? How would they explain this act of kindness and compassion? 

I read the article about GCU giving all of those poor children full scholarships! I was so moved that it  made me cry! Now I ask you; what type of a university would go and do such a wonderful thing? A university that puts people first! A community leader! GCU is wonderful!