Walden University Lawsuit: The $28.5 Million DBA Settlement Has Already Paid Out
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The Walden University lawsuit people search for is Carroll v. Walden University, a federal class action over the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program. It settled for $28.5 million. The court approved it on October 17, 2024, the claim deadline was January 15, 2025, and checks were scheduled to mail on April 10, 2025. As of October 2026 there is no open claim form and no new Walden University class action taking sign-ups.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuit Alleged
The lawsuit alleged that Walden told prospective DBA students the minimum number of capstone credits needed to finish, while students routinely had to complete many more — and pay for each one. According to the complaint, enrollment advisers said 60 credits would be needed, but DBA students took on average 94, which plaintiffs said could add as much as $34,300 per graduate.
It also alleged “reverse redlining”: that Walden targeted Black and female prospective students with that marketing. The claims were brought under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Walden denied wrongdoing, and the settlement “makes no admission of wrongdoing,” a university representative told the Boston Globe.
Case Details
Carroll, et al. v. Walden University, LLC, et al., Civil Action No. 1:22-cv-00051-JRR, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, before Judge Julie R. Rubin. The complaint was filed in January 2022. The court denied Walden’s motion to dismiss before the parties settled. The official notice site is walden-dba-settlement.com.
Two older cases come up in the same searches. Thornhill v. Walden University, No. 2:16-cv-00962 (S.D. Ohio), settled; about 55 people received cash from it. Wright v. Walden University in the District of Minnesota was dismissed in April 2017, according to a student-loan advisory firm’s summary.
Status: Settled, Claims Closed, Payments Sent
As of October 2026, no new lawsuit against Walden University is taking claims. What is in the news now is a different case: Sweet v. McMahon, the federal borrower-defense settlement over student loans. Walden is on that settlement’s school list (Exhibit C). On August 18, 2026, borrowers’ counsel asked the court to enforce that settlement and hold the Education Department in contempt, with a hearing reported for November 5, 2026. That is about loan discharges, not Walden settlement checks.
Who Was in the Walden Settlement Class
The class covered Black students and female students (either group qualified) who enrolled in or began Walden’s DBA program between August 1, 2008 and January 31, 2018 and who were charged for and completed more capstone credits than Walden said were the minimum when they enrolled. For female students — and for one of the two groups of Black students — the definition also required having applied for or received student loans or a payment plan. Current and former Walden employees were excluded.
Class size was reported as “over 2,000” by the students’ lawyers and “as many as 2,300” by the Boston Globe. If you were in the class but did not file by January 15, 2025, you are still bound by the settlement but receive no payment. Other Walden programs (PhD, EdD, master’s) were not part of this class.
How Much the Walden University Settlement Paid
Payments were pro rata by excess capstone credits. The notice’s own example: someone with 44 excess credits, out of 90,000 excess credits across all valid claims, would get about $10,000. That is an illustration, not an average — your check depended on your credits and on how many people filed. People who had already received cash from Thornhill had that amount deducted.
If your claim was denied and your denial letter allowed a challenge, the route was email to claims@ssiclaims.com by the date in that letter. There is no fund left to claim from today.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 171,738 other civil rights casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 1.2% of them filed as class actions:
- 19.5% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 9.1% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 19.5% and 28.6%.
- 15.2% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 62 reached a trial (1.6%), after a median of 31 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 7.1 months.
- Only 1,256 of them (0.7%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $225,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other civil rights cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Walden University Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
January 2022 — Carroll Filed in Maryland
Four Black and female former DBA students sue in the District of Maryland, case 1:22-cv-00051, alleging hidden capstone costs and reverse redlining.
- 2
April 2024 — Preliminary Approval
After the court had denied Walden’s motion to dismiss, the parties settle for $28.5 million plus program changes, and the court grants preliminary approval.
- 3
October 17, 2024 — Final Approval
Judge Julie R. Rubin grants final approval. Claim forms go out to known class members on October 22, 2024.
- 4
January 15, 2025 — Claim Deadline
The window closes. Late claims are not accepted; class members who did not file get nothing but remain bound.
- 5
April 10, 2025 — Checks Mailed
Paper checks are scheduled to mail on April 10, 2025, with digital payment emails by April 16, 2025.
- 6
August 18, 2026 — Separate Loan-Relief Fight
In Sweet v. McMahon, borrowers’ counsel moves to hold the Education Department in contempt over unpaid discharges. Walden is on that settlement’s school list; this is not the Carroll case.
Three Things to Watch For
A closed $28.5 million settlement plus an active student-loan fight is easy material for imposters:
“Reopened Walden claim” or “late filing” offers
The Carroll claim window closed January 15, 2025 and the settlement site says late claims will not be accepted. Anyone charging a fee to “reopen” or “recover” your Walden settlement share is selling something that does not exist.
Calls promising Walden loan forgiveness for a fee
Sweet v. McMahon relief is delivered by the Education Department under the settlement, not by a third party. A caller who names Walden and asks for your FSA ID or an upfront fee to “get you on the list” is not part of either case.
Messages asking you to confirm your SSN for a “second payment”
No second Carroll distribution has been announced. The administrator identified class members from Walden’s records and sent claim forms by mail, email and text in October 2024; the only contact the official site mentions now is claims@ssiclaims.com for people with a denial letter. Do not send your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you first.
Walden University Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a Walden University class action lawsuit right now?
Not one taking claims. The main Walden University class action lawsuit, Carroll v. Walden University, settled for $28.5 million and paid out in April 2025. As of October 2026, the Walden name is in the news because of Sweet v. McMahon, a separate federal student-loan settlement that lists Walden among its schools.
What was the class action lawsuit Walden University students won?
Carroll v. Walden University, No. 1:22-cv-00051 in the District of Maryland. Students alleged Walden understated how many capstone credits the DBA required and targeted Black and female students. Walden settled without admitting wrongdoing; final approval came October 17, 2024.
Can I still file a Walden University settlement claim?
No. The deadline was January 15, 2025, and the official site says new submissions are no longer accepted. The only exception it mentions is people who received a denial letter that invited a challenge, by the date in that letter.
How much did each person get?
It varied. $21,175,000 was split pro rata by each claimant’s excess capstone credits. The notice’s worked example came to about $10,000 for 44 excess credits, but no official average has been published.
I was in a PhD or master’s program at Walden. Was I covered?
No. The class was limited to Black students and female students (either group) in the DBA program who enrolled between August 1, 2008 and January 31, 2018 and paid for excess capstone credits. Other programs were outside this settlement.
I never got my check. What now?
Checks were scheduled to mail April 10, 2025, with digital payments by April 16, 2025. If you filed a valid claim and received nothing, contact the administrator through the official site at walden-dba-settlement.com rather than through anyone who contacts you first.
Can Walden students get their federal loans forgiven?
Possibly, but not through the Carroll settlement. Walden is on the Exhibit C list in Sweet v. McMahon, the borrower-defense settlement. Per a student-loan advisory firm’s summary, the Education Department sent notices to later applicants on March 30, 2026 and has until March 30, 2027 to deliver relief. Check your status on StudentAid.gov.
Has the government sued Walden?
Not that we could find. The cases against Walden are private lawsuits by students. Walden is owned by Adtalem Global Education, which acquired it in 2021.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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