On June 3, University of Idaho President C. Scott Green sent a university-wide email announcing that UI will no longer pursue purchasing the University of Phoenix.
UI will request approval of the termination agreement from the university’s Board of Regents in a special meeting on Thursday. The agreement will formally end UI’s discussions of purchasing UPX and pay UI a termination fee of $17.24 million, which will fully reimburse UI’s expenses from working on the transaction.
Previously, UI had been granted an extension to June 10, 2025, by the Board of Regents and the State Board of Education. In exchange for permission to consult other buyers, UPX paid UI $5 million. This amount will be subtracted from the termination fee as credit.
In the email, Green cited “legal and political complications” as “cost prohibitive and potentially distracting” reasons for ending the discussions. In 2024, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador filed an open meetings lawsuit against the State Board of Education, while legislators introduced a resolution threatening legal action if the acquisition was not reconsidered.
UI first began talks with UPX in 2023. “UI saw an opportunity to expand its reach to adult learners and learn from UPX’s advanced technology and online student support systems to better serve Idahoans,” Director of Communications Jodi Walker wrote in a press release.
“We respect the University of Phoenix and wish them all the best. We appreciate their commitment to these conversations, and we learned many things we may be able to incorporate into our work,” Green said.
It is unclear if any other buyers have decided to purchase UPX.
Dakota Steffen can be reached at [email protected].