The Trump administration has reversed a major enforcement action imposed on Grand Canyon University (GCU), scrapping a $37.7 million fine that had become a symbol of the Biden administration’s crackdown on Christian institutions.

GCU, the largest Christian university in the United States, had been accused by the Biden-era Department of Education of “substantially misrepresenting” the cost of its doctoral programs. That led to the biggest fine ever proposed against a university in American history. Now, the case has been thrown out entirely—dismissed with prejudice—meaning it cannot be brought again.

“In a Joint Stipulation of Dismissal order… the Department dismissed the case with no findings, fines, liabilities or penalties of any kind,” GCU announced in a statement Friday. “ED confirmed it has not established that GCU violated any Title IV requirements.”

That includes the central allegation made under the Biden administration: that GCU deceived over 7,500 doctoral students about the cost of their programs. School officials had vigorously denied those claims from the beginning, calling them “lies and deceptive statements.”

“Grand Canyon University categorically denies every accusation… and will take all measures necessary to defend itself from these false accusations,” the school said in 2023 when the fine was first announced.

According to current Education Department spokesperson Ellen Keast, the difference in approach between the two administrations is stark. “Unlike the previous Administration, we will not persecute and prosecute colleges and universities based on their religious affiliation,” she said. “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.”

The original fine was issued during the Biden presidency and immediately drew criticism from conservative leaders and Christian education advocates, who saw it as part of a broader campaign to undermine religious liberty in higher education.

A 2024 study highlighted the trend, showing that faith-based colleges were being disproportionately targeted by federal regulators, while elite secular institutions like Ivy League universities went unchallenged. That data reinforced what many suspected: that Christian schools were in the crosshairs of an administration hostile to religious values.

GCU President Brian Mueller, in his statement after the case was dismissed, said the university felt vindicated. “The facts clearly support our contention that we were wrongly accused of misleading our doctoral students,” he said. “We appreciate the recognition that those accusations were without merit.”

Mueller’s statement also reflected the broader concern many conservatives have had for years—that federal agencies under Democrat control are willing to use their power to intimidate, silence, or financially punish institutions that don’t align with their progressive ideology.

The case’s dismissal is being hailed as a major victory for religious liberty and a warning to unelected bureaucrats who try to weaponize federal agencies against ideological opponents.

It also represents another example of the Trump administration’s broader campaign to roll back what it sees as politically motivated overreach across the federal government. Since returning to office, Trump has taken steps to rein in executive power, restore due process in education enforcement, and protect constitutionally guaranteed freedoms for faith-based institutions.

With the 2024 election behind him and a second term in full swing, Trump’s education department is clearly signaling that Christian schools will no longer be treated like second-class institutions—and that bureaucratic abuse under the banner of “regulation” will face real pushback.

For Grand Canyon University, the decision brings closure to a case that threatened its reputation and financial future. For religious schools nationwide, it sends a clear message: under Trump, equal protection under the law still means something.