Students sue colleges for refunds of tuition and fees

[WVBaker]

They wanted the campus experience, but their colleges sent them home to learn online during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, students at more than 25 U.S. universities are filing lawsuits against their schools demanding partial refunds on tuition and campus fees, saying they're not getting the caliber of education they were promised.

Students sue colleges for refunds of tuition and fees

More than two dozen schools face lawsuits saying high-priced online courses are no substitute for real classes.

www.cbsnews.com

They do have a point.

 

[bbodb1]

It should not have had to come to this....

 

[Cornell]

Can I get a refund on the portion of my property taxes (and that portion is large) that pays for public schools where I live? E learning is not even remotely an adequate substitute for classroom learning.

 

[wackymother]

My youngest is a college senior. She's still having classes and tests and finals. The professors have to be paid, the school still has to be maintained, and no one asked for this difficult situation. We did get a refund of about half the cost of housing and the meal plan for the semester, which we appreciated very much.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

With some privates charging $30,000 - $50,000 a year, it is not surprising that 20% of freshmen (and their parents) are considering a gap year. Many parents are pushing to have their student start with the basics at a low-cost junior college during the gap year and then start at the expensive university when they can enjoy that first year dorm experience.

My university has gone all online. For the professors, teaching online is a lot more work and takes a lot more preparation so I wouldn't be surprised if the professors start requesting more money to offset the time and effort to reconfigure their class.

In addition, rather than having walk-in office hours which many students don't use, the faculty is being asked to schedule regular 1:1 zoom meetings with the students to check in on them beyond the classroom. It's a lot more time consuming.

 

[Cornell]

My youngest is a college senior. She's still having classes and tests and finals. The professors have to be paid, the school still has to be maintained, and no one asked for this difficult situation. We did get a refund of about half the cost of housing and the meal plan for the semester, which we appreciated very much.

That’s great about the R&B ... I would hope that cost wouldn’t be passed on to students .

 

[CalGalTraveler]

My youngest is a college senior. She's still having classes and tests and finals. The professors have to be paid, the school still has to be maintained, and no one asked for this difficult situation. We did get a refund of about half the cost of housing and the meal plan for the semester, which we appreciated very much.

We also have a rising 5th year engineering senior. She still lives in an apartment close to campus on a lease and takes all classes and tests online. Next year she has a couple of lab classes. I hope this doesn't delay her graduation into a 6th year (!)

 

[Zac495]

We got half refund for housing - surprised and pleased. Zoe is a senior so sadly she won't walk in graduation.

 

[Luanne]

We got half refund for housing - surprised and pleased. Zoe is a senior so sadly she won't walk in graduation.

I found out from both of my dds that it was more important for me to have them walk in graduation. Both of them could have easily skipped it. And I remember when I graduated college I didn't want to walk either. But my parents had driven 700 miles and my mother was adamant that I walk. So maybe it's the parents who will be more upset.

 

[Panina]

My youngest is a college senior. She's still having classes and tests and finals. The professors have to be paid, the school still has to be maintained, and no one asked for this difficult situation. We did get a refund of about half the cost of housing and the meal plan for the semester, which we appreciated very much.

Same refund here, part of housing and meal plan

 

[Firepath]

We also have a rising 5th year engineering senior. She still lives in an apartment close to campus on a lease and takes all classes and tests online. Next year she has a couple of lab classes. I hope this doesn't delay her graduation into a 6th year (!)

My son is also a 5th year engineering senior, so I can relate.

 

[Patri]

How many of the students actually even paid their own bill? Room and board makes sense, tuition no. If you got a grade, you got an education. College still had staff to pay, and most of its other expenses. Sad students can't accept a little sacrifice in this crisis.

 

[Cornell]

How many of the students actually even paid their own bill? Room and board makes sense, tuition no. If you got a grade, you got an education. College still had staff to pay, and most of its other expenses. Sad students can't accept a little sacrifice in this crisis.

“If you got a grade , you got an education “? I could not disagree with this more.
Giving out a grade is not teaching.

 

[DannyTS]

The professors have to be paid, the school still has to be maintained, and no one asked for this difficult situation.

How about getting 50-60% of the normal pay if the workload has been reduced (or next to zero) ? It would be fair to the parents that have to continue to pay tuition while may have seen their own income decimated.

 

[TravelTime]

I do not think this is the schools' fault. They are doing the best they can to finish off the year. If they start refunding students at a time when their expenses to go online are going up, the schools could go bankrupt. Then we the taxpayers will need to bail out the universities. It seems like everyone is trying to point fingers at others and get refunds. Heck, I should be getting free office rent since I can't use my office but I am still paying.

This is a national (and worldwide) crisis. People need to be grateful that students are still able to get an education and complete the school year, even if it is not like they envisioned. If you want to point fingers, blame the government that was not prepared and had to result to mass shut downs to deal with this crisis.

 

[Beachclubmum]

My youngest is a college senior. She's still having classes and tests and finals. The professors have to be paid, the school still has to be maintained, and no one asked for this difficult situation. We did get a refund of about half the cost of housing and the meal plan for the semester, which we appreciated very much.

So agree with you.

We received a refund check of 2k for room and board which was more than fair—no lawsuits nor protests necessary. My DS still had his classes and finished his last final today. Hopeful he maintains his 4.0 from first semester.

 

[DannyTS]

I do not think this is the schools' fault. They are doing the best they can to finish off the year. If they start refunding students at a time when their expenses to go online are going up, the schools could go bankrupt. Then we the taxpayers will need to bail out the universities. It seems like everyone is trying to point fingers at others and get refunds. Heck, I should be getting free office rent since I can't use my office but I am still paying.

This is a national (and worldwide) crisis. People need to be grateful that students are still able to get an education and complete the school year, even if it is not like they envisioned. If you want to point fingers, blame the government that was not prepared and had to result to mass shut downs to deal with this crisis.

I am not too sure I am buying this argument. Any other business would be laughed at if they came with alternatives that are, in the eye of the customer, unsatisfactory. Just think of the travel industry for example. What would the online replacement be? How much would -people pay for a virtual tour?

 

[TravelTime]

I think it was very generous to refund for the services students are not using. The universities still have the overhead costs for many of these services even if not being used due to the government mandated shut down. I am really appalled by the covid lawsuits. Seems like the lawyers are hungry.

 

[TravelTime]

I am not too sure I am buying this argument. Any other business would be laughed at if they came with alternatives that are, in the eye of the customer, unsatisfactory. Just think of the travel industry for example. What would the online replacement be? How much would -people pay for a virtual tour?

By your argument, then maybe employees who are working from home who are not as efficient should get 50-60% pay cuts. Maybe doctors should reduce their fees for telehealth. I should get free rent for my office since I can’t use it. The demand for refunds or reduced rates could extend indefinitely. I think the travel industry has been very generous in giving refunds and they probably do not need to given the pandemic. Travel is not a comparable example because you can’t travel virtually but you can get an education online.

 

[DannyTS]

By your argument, then maybe employees who are working from home who are not as efficient should get 50-60% pay cuts.

Trust me, if a company realizes some people are not efficient working from home, they will be paid less or be even fired. The bottom line does not lie. Of course the reverse can be true, somebody can be more productive working from home.

 

[am1]

Refunds should be provided. My sons private school is being forced into refunding money by the parents at the government school administration has not stepped up and did something for every private school. Companies/schools should throw profit out the window this year and just try to survive and try to recover next year.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Article: “Some were struggling to attract students and running pretty big deficits”—universities and covid-19.

“The costs of keeping these children out of education are becoming clear”—the back-to-school case

Also on the daily podcast: more pollution-protection rollbacks in America and why urban Kenyans lie about their salaries

www.economist.com

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Richard

 

[geekette]

In addition, rather than having walk-in office hours which many students don't use, the faculty is being asked to schedule regular 1:1 zoom meetings with the students to check in on them beyond the classroom. It's a lot more time consuming.

Ouch! That is massively more time consuming!

 

[geekette]

I found out from both of my dds that it was more important for me to have them walk in graduation. Both of them could have easily skipped it. And I remember when I graduated college I didn't want to walk either. But my parents had driven 700 miles and my mother was adamant that I walk. So maybe it's the parents who will be more upset.

I never understood the "walk" thing. We were crammed into seats, there was no walking.

My parents weren't there, I would have skipped it. It was long, hot, and full of speeches that apparently didn't register enough with me to remember them. I just wanted to get my piece of paper and hit the road and not look back.

Are these small schools that have "a walk"?

 

[Monykalyn]

Sad students can't accept a little sacrifice in this crisis.

Seriously? These kids are going to inherent a terrible job market, the biggest deficit ever in history, a probably years long recession, etc. Student loan rates were basically borrowing on a credit card (buying a house or car-low interest rate; borrow money for an education-gonna stick it to you with the interest!!). So I think perhaps they will be "sacrificing" for this for decades. Refunding room and board is the LEAST the schools can do. And on line learning IS. NOT. THE . SAME. AS. CLASSROOM-HANDS ON EXPERIENCE.