University of Rhode Island Tuition, Room & Board Payback

Date Filed: 5.14.2020

Case Number: WC-2020-0209

Location Filed: Superior Court of Washington County

Plaintiff: Logan Thomson

Summary: A University of Rhode Island, student (“student”) filed a class-action lawsuit against University of Rhode Island demanding repayment for paid tuition, mandatory fees, or voluntary fees for privileges or services University of Rhode Island failed to provide due to its COVID-19 related campus closure. Class Action Complaint and Jury Demand, Thompson v. Univ. of Rhode Island, WC-2020-0209 (R.I. Super. May. 14, 2020). The lawsuit was filed May 14, 2020, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Rhode Island and makes claims against the University of Rhode Island for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Id. The lawsuit highlights that as a precondition for enrollment, the student was required to and did pay tuition, as did all members of the proposed Class. Id. Additionally, the student paid tuition and fees for in-person instruction at the University of Rhode Island, which covers not just the academic education, but encompass an entirely different experience from the online program, such as face to face interaction with professors, mentors, peers, extra-curricular activities, and facilities. Id.

The suit claims the University of Rhode Island breached its contract with students by failing to provide those services and has otherwise not performed under the contract. Id. Alternatively, the University of Rhode Island is unjustly enriched because it continued to charge for tuition and reaping the financial benefit of millions of dollars from tuition-payers, despite sending students home, closing its campus and residence halls, and changing courses for the worse. Id.

The complaint reads, “although the University of Rhode Island is still offering some level of academic instruction via online classes, Plaintiff and members of the proposed Class have been and will be deprived of the benefits of on-campus learning.” Id. As of September 26, 2019, the University of Rhode Island ’s total endowment net assets exceeded $149 million. Matthew Doyle, Matthew Doyle: URI’s endowment compares poorly with peers Providence Journal (2020), https://www.providencejournal.com/opinion/20161203/matthew-doyle-uris-endowment-compares-poorly-with-peers (last visited Jun 16, 2020).

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