Kansas lawmakers want to refund tuition to college students who lost class time or were forced into online courses as a result of the pandemic.
A House panel amended the state’s higher education budget Wednesday to require that colleges, community colleges and technical schools reimburse students for 50% of the tuition paid every day they spent online instead of in the classroom. The amendment would reimburse at 100% for days that students missed class entirely.
The move is the latest in a string of actions taken by lawmakers to show their disdain for online learning in colleges and k-12 schools. …
[R]efunds would involve thousands of students. Though an exact cost is unknown, it would likely run into the millions, stretching a proposed budget that already assumes a 5.5% cut in higher education.
Some students are already asking for and receiving these refunds.