There was a mass exodus of students from college and university campuses last month in an effort to slow the march of coronavirus infections across the U.S. With a widespread shift to online learning now under way, many families are wondering: Will they be getting refunds or partial refunds, for room, board and related costs?
A look at what various schools have announced so far suggests what students get back, if anything, is going to depend on the institution they attend.
Many colleges and universities have said they plan to prorate charges for room and board based on the date students had to vacate campus. Some schools have already started refunding money; others have merely indicated they will. Still other schools have said decisions on these matters will be forthcoming, though in several cases no time frame has been given.
And how about tuition? Generally speaking, colleges aren’t refunding tuition as a result of the shift to online learning—the rationale being that classes are still taking place, albeit in a different medium. Also, colleges generally aren’t altering financial-aid commitments as a result of the shift, though there could be exceptions for students who drop out or reduce their course load below full-time status, says Karen McCarthy, director of policy analysis at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.