The Century Foundation’s Robert Shireman:
In May 2019, Purdue University’s CFO filed a nonprofit tax return (Form 990) with the IRS, followed in August with an application for tax-exempt status (Form 1023).3 Four months later, in December, the IRS granted the request for tax-exempt status for Purdue Global.
If IRS examiners had studied the Purdue Global deal thoroughly, they likely would have delayed 501(c)(3) approval, if not rejected it completely. Purdue, however, answered questions on the IRS forms on a range of topics in ways that managed to avoid triggering any deeper review.
Purdue excluded its for-profit, more-than-partner Kaplan from its tax-exemption application. Did Mitch Daniels ever take the Purdue Honor Pledge?