Universities Refuse to Reduce Spring Tuition Costs During Coronavirus Shutdown

Several universities and colleges around the country are pushing back against refund demands from students that have been forced to leave campus. Some universities, such as the University of Colorado, Boulder have even refused to refund student fees that finance on-campus amenities such as fitness centers.

According to a report by the College Fix, students that have been forced to leave campus due to the Wuhan coronavirus are demanding refunds for services including on-campus housing and student fees. But universities and colleges are rejecting refund requests across the board, including for fees that fund on-campus amenities that have become inaccessible to students during the crisis.

Students have circulated petitions over the past week to demand that universities provide prorated refunds for the remainder of the semester. But many universities have already rejected refund requests A spokesperson from the University of Colorado, Boulder said that the university will not only refuse to refund tuition costs but that they will also refuse refund requests for student fees.

“There will not be any adjustments to tuition and fees. Students are encouraged to work with their professors if they need additional accommodations to complete their coursework,” a university spokesperson said.

Stanford University is taking a slightly different approach. Stanford, which has also announced that they will not offer refunds, told students that they should take a leave of absence and then return to finish their degree program at a later date. 

“We realize that for many students, there is disappointment that the experience of online instruction will not be the same as the Stanford experience they have come to expect. If a student feels that a spring quarter with online instruction will not meet their expectations, they have the option to take a leave of absence for spring quarter and re-enroll at a later date,” a March 16 statement from Stanford read.

Breitbart News has reported extensively on the Wuhan coronavirus’ impact on universities and colleges. Breitbart News reported on Friday that 78-year-old University of Washington professor Stephen Schwartz passed away after being infected with the virus. Schwartz was the first known academic to pass away after contracting the virus.