Update: May 4, 2021: The Higher Learning Commission, an accrediting agency, removed its governmental investigation designation this week from Walden University after the U.S. Department of Justice declined to take up a lawsuit against the college over misrepresentation claims. The label’s removal eliminates a major hurdle for the online for-profit college’s owner to complete its planned sale of the school.
Update: April 30, 2021: The U.S. Department of Justice this month declined to intervene in a lawsuit alleging that Walden University, an online for-profit college, misrepresented aspects of a graduate nursing program to students, according to court documents.
Laureate Education, Walden’s parent company, is asking the college’s accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, to drop its governmental investigation designation — a label that could complicate a planned sale of the school. HLC did not immediately respond to Higher Ed Dive’s request for comment Friday.
Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Walden University, an online for-profit college, over allegations it misrepresented aspects of a nursing program to students and an accreditor, according to an SEC filing.
- Adtalem Global Education, a for-profit college operator seeking to acquire Walden University, notified investors Thursday that the Justice Department is investigating whether school officials falsely advertised the content and cost of its master’s of science in nursing degree to students.