CNBC Discusses Lawsuit
Students are suing their colleges for coronavirus-related refunds - Published Mon, Apr 13 2020 - As colleges close their doors and move classes online to curtail the spread of coronavirus, students across the country have raised concerns that they are still paying high tuition prices for what is now an online education. In-person lectures and instruction have been swapped for online college programs that often cost less and that many researchers, students and professors believe are less effective and less valuable. Because the nature of their education has so drastically changed, many students are asking for their money back.
Now, students at two colleges, Drexel University and the University of Miami, have filed two class-action lawsuits in South Carolina federal court under the representation of South Carolina-based Anastopoulo Law Firm, against their schools in hopes of receiving some kind of reimbursement.
The suits claim that students have paid for services they’re no longer receiving, such as face-to-face interaction with professors, access to campus facilities and hands-on learning, as well as mandatory fees for activities, athletics and wellness programs that they will not be able to participate in.
The plaintiffs, Adelaide Dixon, who attends the University of Miami in Florida, and Grainger Rickenbaker, who attends Drexel University in Pennsylvania, aim to represent the thousands of students at their schools. The University of Miami enrolls some 11,117 undergraduate students and Drexel University enrolls close to 13,490 undergraduates. Undergraduate tuition and fees cost about $51,930 at Miami and about $54,516 at Drexel.
“Although [the universities are] still offering some level of academic instruction via online classes, plaintiff and members of the proposed [classes] have been and will be deprived of the benefits of on-campus learning,” said the students in both lawsuits, adding that “the value of any degree issued on the basis of online or pass/fail classes will be diminished.”
(TO READ THE ARTICLE ON THE CNBC WEBSITE - CLICK HERE)
Wall St. Journal Discusses Student Lawsuit
By Douglas Belkin - April 10, 2020 6:00 am ET
Students filed lawsuits this week against Drexel University and the University of Miami in an effort to recover spring tuition, room and board and fees after their campuses closed and their classes moved online.
The suits, which aim to be class actions, allege the schools are failing to give them the educational experience they paid for, one with in-person instruction. Total cost to attend either the University of Miami or Drexel exceeds $70,000 a year.
Both schools said they hadn’t reviewed the lawsuits and declined to comment.
Schools around the country have been moving classes online to adhere to social-distancing regimens to try to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Some schools prorated rebates for room and board, but very few—if any—have reimbursed students for tuition….
…Roy Willey, a lawyer at the Anastopoulo Law Firm in South Carolina, the firm that filed the cases against the University of Miami and Drexel, said the schools weren’t providing students with the experience they were promised.
In addition to academics, tuition and fees cover face-to-face interaction with professors, mentors and peers; access to facilities such as computer labs and libraries; and extracurricular activities and networking opportunities, the suits allege.
The suits pull quotes from the website of each school, which promote their residential experiences. From the suit against the University of Miami: “Living on campus opens a world of interaction with other students, faculty and staff members in many social, development and academic activities."
“The on-campus learning experience is very different than it is online; these student’s didn’t sign up to online colleges,” said Mr. Willey, who filed the cases.
Last month, University of Miami President Julio Frenk announced the move to online classes in a video addressing students. He said the school held 1,300 training sessions over spring break for faculty to transfer classes online.
“All this effort has paid off. This morning classes resume virtually, and I am happy to share that the transition, largely, has been a success,” Mr. Frenk said.
Universities have incurred additional costs since the pandemic began, including the expense of moving classes online. They are absorbing revenue declines as they cancel summer programs and athletics. Schools are also girding for declining enrollment and revenue when school starts this fall.
(Video) College Students Suing University for Tuition Reimbursement
Today, Anastopoulo Law Firm Attorney Roy Willey spoke to Fox Business News’ Neil Cavuto about the firms Class Action Lawsuit. His interview can be seen HERE