Rochester Institute of Technology Class Action Says Students Need Coronavirus Refunds

A recent class action lawsuit claims that Rochester Institute of Technology refuses to provide tuition refunds to their students.

Plaintiff Barbara Mycek’s son allegedly attended Rochester Institute of Technology, or RIT, for the spring 2020 semester, pursuing an undergraduate degree in cybersecurity. Mycek says that she paid more than $20,000 in tuition and fees for the semester.

She reportedly paid the tuition and fees to ensure that her son had access to in-person instruction, laboratory access, student presentations, peer collaboration, and other university campus facilities – all resources which Mycek says are important to the cybersecurity program.

However, Mycek’s son was allegedly denied these benefits following campus coronavirus closures.

After the coronavirus gained momentum in the United States, colleges and universities around the country opted to move their classes to an online format. RIT was no exception, transitioning to online classes in early March.

Did you attend college in the spring of 2020 at Rochester Institute of Technology or another school? Were you denied a tuition refund? Get legal help by clicking here.

Although these efforts were done to protect students and faculty from the coronavirus, Mycek argues that the online learning her son received was worth far less than what she paid for.

The plaintiff notes that online learning was implemented across all programs, even concentrations such as engineering and computer sciences where access to on campus resources is especially important.

“The online learning options being offered to RIT students are subpar in practically every aspect and a shadow of what they once were, from the lack of facilities, materials, and access to faculty,” the Rochester Institute of Technology class action lawsuit argues.

“Students have been deprived of the opportunity for collaborative learning and in-person dialogue, feedback, and critique.”

Students allegedly choose to attend RIT due to the school’s marketing of their on campus experiences. Facilities found on campus as well as face-to-face interaction with professors are aspects of the institute which are highly marketed to potential students. In fact, Mycek argues that these aspects may lead students to choose RIT over other schools.

Unfortunately, students were denied these benefits for the spring 2020 semester. Mycek argues that Rochester Institute of Technology students were therefore denied the benefits they paid for.

Tuition costs reportedly cover far more than just academic instruction. These fees reportedly pay for face-to-face interactions, access to facilities, student activities, extracurriculars, social development, and more. Online classes allegedly lack these benefits and therefore should be associated with lower costs.

“The remote learning options are in no way the equivalent of the in-person education putative class members contracted and paid for,” Mycek argues in her Rochester Institute of Technology tuition class action lawsuit. “The remote education being provided is not even remotely worth the amount charged class members for Spring Semester 2020 tuition.”

Based on this lack of value, Mycek seeks tuition refunds for herself and a Class of other individuals who paid tuition or fees for the spring 2020 semester. This may include undergraduate tuition for the semester of $21,323, mandatory undergraduate fees (a $148 Student Activities Fee and a $175 Student Health Services Fee), and/or graduate tuition of $23,761.

Mycek does not seek a full refund of these costs, since classes were held as intended through March 6.

However, she argues that any tuition paid for after this date should be refunded or at least reduced to reflect the “subpar” online education offered to students.

“Even if Defendant did not have a choice in cancelling in-person classes, it nevertheless has improperly retained funds for services it is not providing,” Mycek argues.

The Rochester Institute of Technology tuition class action lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, restitution, disgorgement, injunctive relief, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Several other universities and colleges have faced class action lawsuits from students and parents who claim that they paid far too much for the education they received this spring.

Across the board, students say that their education has suffered in quality and value since the switch to online formats. Some schools have offered small credits to be applied to future semester charges, but certain students claim that this is not nearly enough to compensate them for the loss in value.

Mycek and the proposed Class are represented by Philip L. Fraietta, Alec M. Leslie and Sarah N. Westcot of Bursor & Fisher PA.

The Rochester Institute of Technology Tuition Class Action Lawsuit is Barbara Mycek v. Rochester Institute of Technology, Case No. 6:20-cv-06324-CJS, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.

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