Columbia Students Coronavirus Tuition Class Action Settlement Overview:
- Why: The students sued for reimbursements of fees and tuition after they were moved to remote learning in 2020.
- Who: Columbia University reached a settlement with disgruntled students in a class action lawsuit.
- Where: The proposed class action settlement is pending in New York federal court.
Columbia University will pay $12.5 million in tuition and fee reimbursements to students allegedly deprived of the “unique benefits of an in-person, on-campus educational experience” during remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic, under the terms of a proposed class action settlement.
Under the deal, first announced in October, Columbia will pay more than $8.5 million in fees and $4 million to resolve the tuition claims and prevent the plaintiffs from filing suit over those claims again.
The money will be divided equally among the settlement Class, or those who will receive a payment from the class action settlement.
The Class includes all students enrolled in Columbia’s programs who were assessed Spring 2020 fees. This excludes anyone who withdrew from Columbia on or before March 13, 2020, or enrolled in a Spring 2020 program that was originally and solely online.
Members of the settlement Class may file a request to opt out of the class. If someone does opt out, their share of the settlement will be equally distributed among the remaining Class Members.
Members can opt to receive their settlement payment via check, Venmo, or PayPal. The check must be cashed within 180 days; otherwise, the amount will be split and donated between The Food Pantry at Columbia and the school’s Student Event Fund.
The lead plaintiffs of the class action are Columbia students Chris Riotta, Lisa Guerra, Alexandra Taylor-Gutt, and an otherwise unnamed “Student A.” Each is asking for a special award of up to $25,000. The plaintiffs’ attorneys are asking for awards of at most one-third of the settlement amount which is about $4.16 million.
The settlement has been submitted to US District Judge Jesse M. Furman who must approve the deal for it to take effect.
Students Sued Columbia for Missing Out on Campus Benefits
The $12.5 million settlement is the result of a class action lawsuit filed by four Columbia students Riotta, Guerra, Taylor-Gutt, and “Student A.”
They accused Columbia of breach of contract and unjust enrichment, and other violations.
The class action lawsuit claimed that, when the school failed to provide in-person instruction and access to campus facilities, student activities, and other benefits, it should have returned tuition and fees already paid by students for the term.
Columbia had already made some refunds to students, but these were insufficient according to the complaint.
A number of colleges and universities have been accused of unfairly withholding refunds to students after closing their campuses and moving to online learning during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring of 2020.
What do you think of Columbia’s settlement with its students? Sound off in the comments below!
The plaintiffs are represented by Roy T. Willey IV and Eric M. Poulin of Anastopoulo Law Firm LLC and Thomas J. McKenna and Gregory M. Egleston of Gainey McKenna & Egleston.
The Columbia Students Coronavirus Tuition Class Action Settlement is In re: Columbia Tuition Refund Action, Case No. 1:20-cv-03208, in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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