The lawsuit, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, targets Grand Canyon Education Inc (GCE), its CEO and the university. The FTC alleges the university misled prospective doctoral students about program costs and requirements and engaged in deceptive and abusive telemarketing practices.

According to the FTC, the university, despite its nonprofit claims, has been operated to benefit GCE and its shareholders, with 60% of its revenue going to GCE. Regulatory filings describe the university as a “partner” of GCE.

Officials for the Arizona-based university denied the FTC’s “unsubstantiated allegations” and promised to refute them.

“Given the major problems that exist in higher education… it is baffling that the federal government has chosen to target a Christian university that is addressing those issues in very positive ways,” the university said in a statement.

This is the second government lawsuit GCU is facing in a matter of weeks. In November, the U.S. Department of Education fined the university $37.7 million for misrepresenting the costs of its doctoral programs. A report from the found that fewer than two percent of the school’s doctoral program graduates completed their program within the advertised cost, and almost 78% took five or more continuation courses.

For those who aren’t familiar with the term, “edutainment” is—well, education that entertains. In recent years, the field has made impressive advancements as teachers have tried to keep up with technology and the ever-changing methods of this multitasking generation.

Today, a higher education course could be instructed through a hybrid of media: podcasts, e-books, YouTube, etc. Professors can conduct in-class texting polls and receive instant results. Contemporary curricula include online games, collaborative blogging or classroom smart boards. Films related to the course concepts are often incorporated for viewing and analysis. More than 120 schools now utilize Second Life, a free network of 3D virtual worlds, to create new environments for socializing, learning and branding. Then there are mostly-fun-but-also-practical enhancements, like the artificial ski slope added to Liberty University’s campus. It gives students an extra recreational choice while also adding to the school’s club sports.

While edutainment makes knowledge easier to digest and apply, it also prepares students to be familiar with the technological developments in their chosen field. For example, students across the degree spectrum have a growing need to be instructed with tablet technology. Some schools even provide tablets to new students, like Adelaide University, which gave iPads to the 702 students who majored in science this year.

“In two to three years, tablet technology will be used increasingly across more areas; in the workplace, in restaurants and further within the health service. It will become part of normal day-to-day interaction,” says Ian Wilson, founder of the site iPadInEducation.co.uk.

As you can see, college means a heavier course load, but the approach can still be lighthearted and diverse. Edutainment proves that classes don’t have to be predictable to be effective—In fact, they could even be fun.

DO apply to safety schools. You know where you want to get in. But where can you pretty much bank on admission? Even if you can’t get your “dream” education, you can still get a good one. Pick a Plan B (or C or D) that your grades and experiences favor, and don’t wait until the last minute to apply.

DON’T let tuition intimidate you. Sure, you need to take into account whether attending a certain school will sink you into debt, but don’t let the cost make the decision for you. If an expensive college would be a great match for you, pursue as many scholarship and financial aid options as you can.

DO get help applying. Have a couple different people look over your forms— and not just a student your age. Ask advisors and professionals about what to include or improve, and have someone with proofreading experience give it a final look.

DON’T let your pre-college relationships determine where you go to school. No matter how much you love your significant other, or how much you’ll miss your best friend, choose a school that fits, challenges and inspires you.

DO write unique application essays. It might be tempting to copy phrasing from other essays, but take time to come up with your own thought-out, original answers. Customize an essay for each school, rather than sending the same general one to each.

1. Find a local team in your area to develop encouraging relationships with adolescents while connecting with other volunteer leaders your age.
2. Look beyond the traditional and discussion format, and consider a small group that appeals to hobbies, interests or a group activity.
3. Choose a part-time job at a restaurant or store that is either on campus or frequented by students so you have a reason to start conversations.
4. When your first big test comes along, set up a to meet with your study partners somewhere other than the library where you can get to know each other while getting stuff done.

The college admissions process is like sending a friend request to your school of choice—and in this scenario, the way you maintain your Facebook, and even your Twitter, could matter just as much.

A Kaplan survey indicated that more than 80 percent of college admissions offices will reach out to and recruit students on Facebook— which means the people who are holding the keys to your academic future could be browsing your page. So just as you would for your applications and essays, it’s vital that you make social network edits.

First, you’ll need to clean up. Carefully comb your page, and if something appears questionable, get rid of it or untag yourself. Filter through old notes and blogs and trim entries that don’t reflect well on you. Does your “About Me” section express the interests of a potential college student, or of a silly high schooler?

Now, make some positive changes to your online image. Your profile picture is the most visible part of your account. Choose an image that best personifies who you are (or how you’d like to be perceived). It doesn’t need to be a headshot, but it should be an appropriate image that would appeal to an admissions office. They aren’t looking for more students to party hard or fail classes—they are looking for vibrant students who will excel.

You should also monitor your friends’ activity on your page. Just as your relationships reflect who you are, their comments, photos and tags play a part in your overall virtual impression on others. Delete or block friends who frequently make inappropriate remarks. Change your privacy settings so you have to approve Twitter followers or picture tags.

Finally, play the part of the prospective student. “Like” the universities you are interested in and interact with their online community. If you have an online portfolio, blog or résumé, add its link to your info. It won’t be long before that little “Education” box sees some big changes.

You can’t just blame the Freshman 15 on your cafeteria anymore. A lot of schools are providing more conscious eating options on their campuses. Virginia Tech now has 21 to-go food items that are fewer than 600 calories, Nova Southeastern University has added fresh fruit vending machines and organic campus farms are cropping up across the country. Not only are schools paying attention to what students take in, they are also concerned with what they leave behind. The latest trend is “trayless dining,” which has reduced food and beverage waste by 20 to 50 percent, respectively. Does your school need more mindful dining and waste systems? Talk to your cafeteria or student life department about making some upgrades.

• 60% of college students are sleep deprived.
• 55% of 18- to 29-year-olds report that they "wake unrefreshed."
• 30% of college students fall asleep in class at least once a week.
• 24% of 18- to 29-year-olds admitted to dozing off at the wheel at some point within the last year.
• 22% of young adults are occasionally or frequently late for work due to sleepiness, versus 11% of 30-to 64-year-olds.

• Mad Men — If you’ve ever watched the award-winning AMC drama, you know it’s loaded with both history lessons and social themes—perfect material for a class at Northwestern University.
• South Park — Maybe it’s offensive, but the Comedy Central hit is filled with social commentary, and prompted a course at City University of New York’s Brooklyn College.
• Judge Judy — Your aunt’s favorite afternoon court show was also studied by UC Berkeley students, if only for the purpose of identifying logical fallacies.
• The Muppet Show — UC Santa Cruz’s course “Muppet Magic: Jim Henson’s Art” explored the legacy of Henson, as well as the impact of puppetry on American culture.
• LOST — Fans of the show kept track of its literary and cultural references for years, but a University of North Florida class called “The Infinite Narrative” gave credit for it.

Even during the first semester of college, your mind may wander to the end: a silky black robe, an awkward cap, a sealed diploma. But despite its significance, the graduation ceremony can be, well, a little boring. To keep the commencement speech from being just one more lecture, colleges often call upon celebrities to deliver parting thoughts.

The 2010 commencement speaker lineup included journalists, entrepreneurs, musicians, actors and politicians. With such a vibrant group, you can expect more than clichés and cue cards. Marcia Gay Harden’s four-act address to the University of Texas included a themed orchestral soundtrack. Patti LaBelle belted “I Believe” to Temple University. Even Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger turned stand-up comic at the University of Southern California.

The common favor for the commencement star? An honorary diploma. NYU awarded Alec Baldwin a doctorate following his charge to the graduates of Tisch School of the Arts. Grammy winner Wyclef Jean was bestowed an honorary doctorate from Western Connecticut State University. Meryl Streep also accepted a degree from Harvard, though she spoke to the graduates of Barnard College.

From President Obama to Mythbuster Jamie Hyneman, the personalities at this year’s graduation podiums were as varied as their vocations. But after all of the anecdotes and proverbs were recited, a common theme emerged: good old-fashioned blood, sweat and tears. As Katie Couric said: “Work hard. There is just no way around it. Hard work is the answer.”

Whether on stage or behind a desk, in the marketplace or in ministry, you always have an opportunity to impact your professional field with your beliefs. But the Monitoring the Future study from the University of Michigan shows this effect works both ways. Your chosen major can also strongly influence the way you view and practice your faith.

Typically, students who are education or business majors show an increase in religiosity during their time at college, meaning they regularly attend a religious service and place value upon their spiritual life. Humanities and social science majors experience a general decrease in both. While biology and physical science majors don’t alter their attendance schedule much, their perspective of religion can take a negative turn.

More than half of college students will change their major at least once. While some would credit this statistic to indecisiveness, the Monitoring the Future study suggests this transition can occur as one develops in their religion. An initial major is often chosen based on pre-collegiate values and beliefs. Students who were religious in their youth are more likely to attend college in the first place. But as the level of religiosity increases, students often switch into education, humanities or biology tracks. This is not to say finishing what you started will chip away at your faith. Students who have already declared biology, social science or business majors usually maintain their original choice. But consistent religious routine often results in “a shift toward a higher status path.”

Some majors are missing from the report, including students who study religion itself, though the University of Michigan scholars believe recent trends of spiritual thought have proved damaging to religion. This is further evidenced in the negative relationship between faith and the academic fields of humanities and social science. “We believe that there are important differences among the college majors in worldviews and overall philosophies of life,” the researchers explained. “[Our] results suggest that postmodernism, rather than science, is the bête noir—the strongest antagonist—of religiosity.”

What if you could take Intro to Film with your favorite director? At some fortunate universities, this just might be the case. From NFL football coaches to former presidents, many celebrities are lending their expertise to the world of higher education. Just rub those stars out of your eyes before you write your paper.

Maya Angelou

Angelou is “America’s most famous black female autobiographer” and a respected poet. Since 1991, she’s also served as professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University, giving about 80 lectures a year.

Spike Lee

A pioneer of the independent film industry and the controversial director of movies like Malcolm X, his audience now includes film students of the Marcus Kanbar Institute of Film & Television at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.

Jimmy Carter

The 39th president and Nobel Peace Prize winner is 85 years old and still has a lot to say as a University Distinguished Professor at Emory University. He also founded The Carter Center at the Atlanta campus.

Dennis Green

The former coach of the Vikings and the Cardinals once wanted to teach high school if his football career didn’t come together. He surpassed both goals, and now teaches a sports business management course at San Diego State University.

Jonathan Safron Foer

Everything Is Illuminated, Foer’s first novel, developed from his thesis at Princeton. Two more best-sellers later, the young author teaches a handful of fiction students in NYU’s graduate creative writing program.

You’ve defrosted your fridge, passed your exams (fingers crossed) and said your goodbyes. Yes, break is finally here, and whether it’s a couple weeks for Christmas or three glorious months of summertime, there is always the question of what you’ll do while you’re not in school.

• It can be tempting to fill this odd time window with TV shows, road trips and home-cooked meals, but consider using your vacation for a greater cause. There are a number of service and missions opportunities to keep you busy and make a difference while you’re waiting for the next semester to start.
• If you’ve landed a summer job, congratulations! But there are still many community projects that take only a day or two. Sign up for updates from your local Habitat for Humanity, which accept volunteers of various skill levels on short notice for their construction sites.
• Maybe you swore off books after finals, but consider becoming a reading mentor in the afternoons. Daycares, libraries and summer schools often use summer reading programs to connect college students with inner-city schoolchildren.
• Only have a week off? Adventures in Missions is an organization that offers short-term missions trips specifically for brief college breaks. International and local trips can be as short as five days. Check out Adventures.org for trip details.
• Remember­: not everyone has the option of going home for the holidays. During Thanksgiving or Christmas, volunteer to serve meals and build relationships at a local shelter or soup kitchen.

It’s inevitable: You’re going to get tired of the cafeteria food that seemed so promising at freshmen orientation. But before you turn to another round of late-night, half-price appetizers, consider that your mini-fridge and microwave still have more to offer. Here are some simple recipes for dorm room dining.

Breakfast:

Microwave Omelette—For the early riser

Spray a small glass custard cup with olive oil spray.

Break and beat one egg into cup.

Mix in 1 tbsp water.

Choose your veggies, meat or other ingredients.

Mix about 1/2 tbsp of each into cup.

Mix in 1/8 cup shredded cheese.

Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes.

Carefully remove and invert cup onto plate.

Lunch:

Macaroni Pasta Salad—Put some summer in your semester

Prepare a couple packets of microwaveable macaroni, without adding cheese.

Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing and 2 tbsp mustard.

Other ingredients could include olives, celery, pickles, onions, peppers or tomatoes. Add about 1/3 cup each and mix well.

Add salt and pepper.

Refrigerate.

Dinner:

Microwave Lasagna—Roommate brownie points. But no brownies.

Combine 1/2 lb ground beef and 1 minced garlic clove in a 2-quart dish.

Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring 2 times during cooking.

Drain meat. Blend in 1 1/2 cups water, 6 oz canned tomato paste, 8 oz canned tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp oregano, 1/2 tbsp basil.

Microwave on high for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Layer meat, 1/2 lb of precooked lasagna noodles, 1/2 lb shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 lb cottage cheese in a 2-quart dish. Repeat layers, ending with meat.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Cook on full power 12-14 minutes.

Dessert:

Puppy Chow—Keep in small bags or containers for easy snacking

Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup butter and 1 cup chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave for 1 minute, then stir well.

Put 9 cups of Chex cereal in a large plastic bag.

Pour the peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal. Close bag and shake thoroughly.

Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar to bag. Close and shake bag again until mix is coated evenly.