Penn State settlement overview:
- Who: A federal judge has granted final approval to a $17 million settlement agreement resolving claims against Pennsylvania State University.
- What: Plaintiffs claimed Penn State breached its contract with students when it transitioned to remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Where: The Penn State settlement was filed in a Pennsylvania federal court.
A federal judge has granted final approval to a $17 million settlement resolving claims that Pennsylvania State University breached its contract with students when it transitioned to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Penn State class action settlement is the largest COVID-19 tuition recovery in history, the plaintiffs say.
The plaintiffs alleged Penn State was unjustly enriched when it transitioned to remote learning in response to the pandemic during the Spring 2020 semester; the university denies any wrongdoing.
The settlement class includes all students enrolled at Penn State, including all Commonwealth campuses and branch locations, during the Spring 2020 semester who paid tuition and/or fees and were registered for at least one in-person class at the beginning of the semester.
Penn State class action settlement provides payments for students
Under the terms of the Penn State class action settlement, the university will pay $17 million to resolve the claims.
After deducting court-approved attorneys’ fees, litigation costs, settlement administration fees and service awards for the named plaintiffs, the net settlement fund will be distributed to settlement class members, according to court filings.
Any class member who withdrew for medical reasons after March 16, 2020, but before the conclusion of the Spring 2020 semester, and received a refund of tuition, will receive $50 from the net settlement fund. The remainder of the net settlement fund will be distributed equally to all other class members.
The deadline for class members to opt out of or object to the settlement was Jan. 6, 2025. No class members opted out of the settlement and two objections were withdrawn prior to the final approval hearing, court documents show.
Last year, the Catholic University of America reached a $2 million settlement to end claims that students who attended the college in the spring 2020 semester were entitled to partial refunds of tuition and fees because the university transitioned to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What do you think about the terms of this COVID tuition settlement? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Gary F. Lynch and Nicholas A. Colella of Lynch Carpenter LLP; Eric M. Poulin, Roy T. Willey IV and Paul Doolittle of Poulin | Willey | Anastopoulo LLC; and Joseph I. Marchese of Bursor & Fisher PA.
The COVID tuition settlement is Benjamin Ramey, et al. v. The Pennsylvania State University, Case No. 2:20-cv-00753-RJC, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
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7 thoughts onPenn State agrees to ‘largest’ COVID tuition settlement
My daughter incurred thousands of dollars in student loans to pay for classes and a campus apartment that was overpriced. Many students are in the same boat. I think it’s great that’s been acknowledged, but $154 may buy some gas and groceries. It doesn’t come close to what she was gipped out of. They should have to refund at least the cost of the leases they had to fulfill when they went remote. My son’s university stopped charging students for their campus housing until the schools re-opened. That was the right thing to do. Penn State and other universities robbed a bunch of students trying to make something of their lives and this doesn’t make up for it.
I received nothing and had to pay for a apartment I couldn’t live in
Add me I didn’t get the 100
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I like to learn more about the covdi injection. I believe all the pain i’m having is due to the covid injection. I’m having burning, pricking, tingling sensations in feet, legs,hands and arms also hands are always ice cold and the pain is worse at night.
I like to learn more about the covdi injection. I believe all the pain i’m having is due to the covid injection. I’m having burning, pricking, tingling sensations in feet, legs,hands and arms also hands are always ice cold and the pain is worse at night.