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A student says he should receive refunds after his Philadelphia school, Drexel University, closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world.
Lead plaintiff Grainger Rickenbaker alleges in his Drexel University class action lawsuit that he and other students are not being offered the same college experience under COVID-19 restrictions that limits courses to online platforms.
The plaintiff says that he and other students should be offered a refund of the tuition and fees they paid for the current term.
Drexel University is located in Philadelphia. Rickenbaker, who comes from South Carolina, says that he and other students enrolled in the higher cost school because of the in-person offerings available on campus. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school has reportedly limited its 24,000 or so students to online learning.
“Plaintiff and the Putative Class members contracted with Defendant for certain services, and paid for those services in the form of tuition and other fees,” alleges the Drexel University class action lawsuit. “As a result of the closure of Defendant’s faculty, Defendant has not delivered the services that the Putative Class contracted and paid for.”
The Drexel University class action lawsuit points out that, when students pay tuition and fees for a term, they do so with the expectation that they can access the following amenities, in addition to academic instruction:
- In-person, face to face interaction with faculty, mentors, and other students;
- Lab, study room, library, and other facility access on campus;
- Participation in student government and unions;
- Access to extracurricular activities, clubs, and other student groups;
- Access to student art, culture, and other student activities;
- In-person learning and experimentation experiences;
- The social aspects of the university and the opportunity to learn independence;
- Opportunities to network and develop mentoring relationships;
- And more.
In fact, notes the plaintiff, the institution charges higher rates than other universities, touting its interdisciplinary and applied education approach as the “Drexel Difference.”
According to the Drexel University class action lawsuit, students pay $2,405 in fees to cover experiences that necessitate the face to face contact that isn’t currently not possible under COVID-19 restrictions.
“This additional fee was a required charge to cover the costs of opportunities and services that can only be made available to students while the students are physically present on campus,” argues the Drexel University class action lawsuit.
“In addition to the tuition and mandatory fees, Defendant charges optional fees for other activities and services that can only benefit students while students are on campus. Examples include but are not limited to room and board, parking fees, intramural and extra-curricular fees, etc.”
The Drexel University class action lawsuit notes that students are being evaluated using a pass/fail, rather than a grading system, for the online classes offered in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. These pass/fail grades will diminish the value of degrees offered by the institution, argues the plaintiff.
Based on all of these discrepancies, the Drexel University class action lawsuit argues that students are owed refunds.
“To date, Defendant has failed and continues to fail to refund any portion of Plaintiff and spring 2020 tuition payment, or such refund has been inadequate. Moreover, Plaintiff and members of the proposed Class have been and will be deprived of utilizing services for which they have already paid, such as room, board, access to campus facilities, parking, and other opportunities,” contends the complaint.
Rickenbaker seeks to represent all Drexel University students who are relegated to online classes during the 2020 spring semester because of COVID-19 restrictions who have yet to see an adequate refund.
The Drexel University class action lawsuit is seeking damages for the services the institution has agreed to provide, but cannot and has not offered an adequate refund.
Coronavirus restrictions have kept Americans home and many businesses closed for more than a month now. The fallout from orders to stay at home and maintain social distancing has had far reaching ramifications. Top Class Actions is staying on top of the issues in its guide to coronavirus lawsuits and legal issues.
Are you a university or college student who paid extra fees for services or amenities offered by your school that you can no longer participate in due to COVID-19 restrictions? Have you received a refund for these fees? Get legal help here.
The plaintiff and proposed Class are represented by Eric M. Poulin and Roy T. Willey of Anastopoulo Law Firm LLC.
The Drexel University Class Action Lawsuit is Rickenbaker v. Drexel University, Case No. 2:20-cv-01358, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
Join a Free Coronavirus College Refund Class Action Lawsuit Investigation
If your college or university closed because of the coronavirus, but you did not receive a refund for tuition, room and board or other fees, you may be able to join this coronavirus school refund class action lawsuit investigation.
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One thought on Drexel University Class Action Lawsuit Seeks Tuition Refunds
Drexel University are a bunch of scum bags. I attended Drexel they dropped me for non-payment after manually registering me for classes. My professors turned in the grades. I checked years later they lost them. I contacted the professors had my grades resubmitted and they lost them again. I contacted them recently and they admitted in writing I did not owe them any funds. However they will not give me my degree unless I take and pay for online classes. I will not it’s the principle of it.