Almost everyone in the United States has been impacted by COVID-19. Indeed, many people know someone who has been ill with the disease, and millions of Americans have lost their jobs because of the current economic downturn. College students have also been negatively impacted by the ongoing pandemic, since almost every college campus is currently closed, and classes have moved online. In light of the current environment, asking colleges for refunds because of COVID-19 seems like an appropriate strategy for many students.
There have been numerous news articles recently about people who are suing companies, such as fitness clubs and other establishments, for having to pay dues while these businesses are closed. It makes sense that people should receive a refund when they paid for services that have not been rendered because of the ongoing pandemic. Asking colleges for refunds because of COVID-19 is a similar strategy, since students could argue that they are not currently being provided the same college experience for which they paid.
It should be noted that when asking colleges for refunds because of COVID-19, not all expenses are created equal. It is easier to argue that students should be refunded housing costs or meal plans that they cannot use because they are no longer on campus. However, it is more difficult to request a refund of tuition expenses.
Numerous class action lawsuits have already been filed seeking refunds of tuition costs students already paid to colleges. These lawsuits claim that the on-campus experience they paid for has been altered due to COVID-19. Indeed, many colleges are now conducting classes through Zoom or other similar videoconferencing apps, and such classes lack the same interactive component that is so vital when earning a college degree. Furthermore, conducting classes through virtual means has made it more difficult to collaborate, interact with professors, and build personal relationships with classmates.
While asking colleges for refunds because of COVID-19, students may also point to the fact that the extracirricular experience of college has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic. Students are currently not able to participate in clubs, attend events, and partake in many parts of the college experience. In fact, many students may not even be able to have a normal graduation ceremony like they had dreamed they would enjoy during their years of study.
Although I am a lawyer, I do not want to provide legal advice on whether asking colleges for refunds because of COVID-19 will be successful. It is difficult for students to argue that they are not receiving anything from their colleges in the current environment. Indeed, they are still attending classes, working toward their degrees, and their academic pursuits should only be slightly altered because of COVID-19. Colleges could argue that working toward a degree is the primary reason students enter universities, and individuals should not be entitled to refunds when they have not been impeded much by COVID-19 from reaching this goal.
Still, there are certain strategies that can be pursued when asking colleges for refunds because of COVID-19. Before filing a lawsuit, or even threatening to file a lawsuit, it is best to see if your college will agree to refunds without involving the legal process. Many colleges are facing bad press for keeping all of their students’ tuition money despite the fact that students are learning online in the current environment. Colleges may be seeing a reduction in costs because campus services are shut down due to the pandemic, such that they do not need the same amount of revenues to maintain operations.
As a result, some colleges have been refunding tuition costs to students, and some universities are providing partial refunds. Colleges largely depend on donations in order to maintain their operations, and universities can see a decrease in donations if they lose goodwill. As a result, refunding tuition payments can allow colleges to do the right thing and maintain their image. Therefore, students should seek refunds from college administrators before escalating their actions.
Asking colleges for refunds because of COVID-19 can form the basis for litigation if colleges do not wish to refund money without judicial intervention. If you are considering litigation in order to obtain a refund, it is worth mentioning that you likely should not file suit for yourself, but should consider joining a class action. As many people know, class action lawsuits involve numerous people with similar claims filing a lawsuit in one proceeding rather than filing many smaller claims.
There is an old saying that “there is strength in numbers” and joining together to seek redress against schools may be better than going it alone. In addition, class actions can make it easier to seek some type of recovery for a wrong, since only certain members of the class need to sit through depositions and there is more limited discovery than there would be if each class member filed their own individual lawsuit. Of course, I am not trying to give legal advice, and I am not suggesting that people should seek to start frivolous class actions against colleges. However, if you wish to pursue asking colleges for refunds because of COVID-19, you should consider joining one of the class actions that have been filed.
In the end, students can justifiably feel that they are owed refunds because of closures due to the ongoing pandemic. And if you keep a few things in mind when asking colleges for refunds because of COVID-19, you may have a better chance at success.