The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has accused TexAM University at Dallas of illegally offering STEM degree programs without state authorization , prompting Attorney General Ken Paxton to file a lawsuit against the institution and its founder, Shahid A. Bajwa. According to the report, a Texas court has ordered the university to halt advertising and student enrollment in degree programs until it obtains a Certificate of Authority from the state.

TexAM's online and Richardson campus operations without state approval

TexAM University at Dallas operates both online and at a physical campus in Richardson, offering STEM degree programs to students across multiple delivery modes, as the report indicates. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board alleges that the university unlawfully presented itself as a college and offered degrees it was not authorized to grant, according to the lawsuit filed by Paxton's office. The court's injunction effectively freezes the university's ability to recruit new students or advertise its programs until it complies with state certification requirements.

The degree-mill allegation and student deception claims

State regulators have accused TexAM of operating as a degree mill—an institution that grants credentials with minimal academic rigor or oversight.. The board's complaint centers on the allegation that the university risked deceiving students about its legitimacy by presenting itself as a state-approved institution when it lacked the required Certificate of Authority. This distinction matters: students enrolling in uncertified programs may find their degrees unrecognized by employers, professional licensing boards, or other universities, leaving them with credentials that carry no legal standing in Texas.

Founder Bajwa's denial and the fee dispute

Shahid A. Bajwa, the university's founder, has denied the allegations, stating that TexAM University at Dallas had complied with the board's instructions and had not charged any fees from students, as the report notes. This claim—that no tuition was collected—stands in tension with the university's operation as a degree-granting institution, raising questions about the institution's financial model and sustainability. If accurate, the no-fee assertion could complicate the fraud narrative, though it does not address the core allegation that the university lacked authorization to offer degrees at all.

Unresolved details about student enrollment and program scope

The soource does not specify how many students enrolled in TexAM's programs, how long the university has been operating, or what specific STEM degrees were offered without authorization. The report also does not clarify whether any students have filed complaints or whether the state discovered the violation through routine audits or external reporting. Additionally, Bajwa's assertion that the university complied with board instructions remains unverified; the board's own allegations suggest non-compliance, but the specific nature of any prior communications between the university and regulators is not disclosed.