Steven Cohen  |  May 1, 2020

Category: Covid-19

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have allegedly been forced to take online classes due to coronavirus closures.

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by a student who claims that the closing of campus and providing online classes deprives students of numerous aspects of college life.

Morgan Ford says that, while transitioning to online classes and closing the campus was the right thing to do because of the coronavirus, this decision deprived her and other putative Class Members from getting the benefits of in-person instruction, housing, meals, and access to campus facilities for which they have already paid in tuition and fees.

The plaintiff states that Rensselaer has either refused to provide reimbursement for the tuition, housing, fees, and other services that the defendant is no longer providing or has provided some reimbursement that does not fully compensate potential Class Members for their loss.

Are you a college student that was denied a tuition refund due to coronavirus closures? Get legal help here.

Ford maintains that she resides in New Jersey and is a full-time student in the defendant’s undergraduate program, studying applied physics. She claims that she has paid a substantial tuition for the spring 2020 semester either out-of-pocket or by utilizing student loan financing.

She states that, while some colleges and universities perform curriculum and instruction that is offered on a remote basis through online programming, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers their classes in-person with hands-on curriculum.

Ford notes that she could have picked other colleges and universities in which to enroll, but chose to obtain her education via in-person at the defendant’s education facility.

The plaintiff states that the tuition for in-person instruction at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute covers not only academic instruction but also services such as face-to-face interaction with professors, access to computer labs and libraries, and extracurricular activities.

In addition to the tuition that she paid, she claims that she also paid some mandatory fees, which include a $361 undergraduate activity fee and a $328 health center fee. She claims that she also paid a few voluntary fees, such as $65 for the school dance club.

As an example, Ford points to the fact that most student activities have been cancelled, student groups and activities have disbanded, and most facilities have been closed or are not accessible to the plaintiff and other Class Members.

“As a result of being moved off campus, Plaintiff no longer has the benefit of the services for which these fees have been paid,” argues the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute class action lawsuit.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students say that they deserve a tuition refund.

In addition to the tuition and fees, the plaintiff states that she also paid room and board fees to reside in campus housing and for a meal plan for on-campus dining.

Ford says that, because of the coronavirus, and at the defendant’s request, she had to move out of the campus and has therefore not utilized her meal plan.

The plaintiff claims that the spring 2020 semester at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute started on Jan. 13, 2020 and was scheduled to conclude on or about May 8, 2020. The semester was supposed to last 113 days, states Ford.

However, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the defendant announced on March 10, 2020 that it was cancelling all university-sponsored events including events that were to be sponsored by student organizations.

In addition, on that date, Ford states that the university announced that all in-person classes would be moved to an online format on March 16, 2020.

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute class action lawsuit alleges that, on March 11, 2020, the defendant started requiring students to move out of on-campus housing.

“Although Defendant is still offering some level of academic instruction via online classes, Plaintiffs and members of the proposed Tuition Class have been and will be deprived of the benefits of on campus learning,” Ford proclaims.

Ford claims that the plaintiffs have been deprived of using services for which they have already paid, such as access to campus facilities, student activities, and other opportunities on campus.

Despite these changes, the defendant has announced that it will not be issuing any tuition discount refunds for the spring 2020 semester, the plaintiff notes.

Ford argues that the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has breached its contract with its students by moving all classes for the spring semester from in-person to online without reducing or refunding the tuition.

Prospective Class Members include: “All people who paid tuition for or on behalf of students enrolled in classes at the University for the Spring 2020 semester and were denied live in-person instruction and forced to use online distance learning platforms for the latter portion of that semester.”

The plaintiff is represented by Kelsey W. Shannon of Lynn Law Firm, LLP, John M. Bradham and Peter B. Katzman of Morea, Schwartz, Bradham, Friedman, & Brown, Edward Toptani of Toptani Law PLLC, and Eric M. Poulin and Roy T. Willey IV of Anastopoulo Law Firm LLC.

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Refund Class Action Lawsuit is Morgan Ford v. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Case No. 1:20-cv-00470, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.

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