UChicago Students Threaten to Withhold Tuition if Denied Refunds

Students at the University of Chicago are threatening to withhold tuition payments if university officials do not issue refunds for the ongoing spring semester. In a letter to university officials, students argued that they are entitled to a 50 percent refund on tuition costs due to the ongoing Chinese virus pandemic.

According to a report by the College Fix, students at the University of Chicago are threatening to withhold tuition if officials do not offer refunds for the spring semester. The students, which called themselves “UChicago for Fair Tuition,” have also demanded that officials place a freeze on tuition increases for foreseeable future and release a budgetary breakdown of the university’s spending.

Many students at universities and colleges around the country have demanded refunds for the ongoing spring semesters. As most universities have adopted virtual learning technology in response to the Chinese virus pandemic, many students have lost access to campus resources, such as libraries and fitness centers.

The group demanded that the university offer a 50 percent refund to all students for the spring semester. Additionally, the group demanded that the university waive 100 percent of tuition costs for doctoral students.

“The University must reduce tuition by 50% and waive fees for the duration of the crisis, beginning in Spring Quarter, to uphold the University of Chicago’s commitment to every student. We also request that the University waive advanced residency tuition for doctoral students and reinstate part-time status,” the letter reads. 

The letter suggests that students will begin to withhold tuition payments if officials fail to issue refunds by April 29, the next deadline for tuition payment. The letter has received over 1,700 signatures since its publication last week.

In light of this global crisis and its effects on our community, hundreds of UChicago students will be continuing to engage the University around these issues through call-ins, email campaigns, and through media outreach. All students are deeply concerned and significantly impacted by the crisis, and many students are prepared to withhold tuition should the University not negotiate with us before the tuition deadline on April 29th. Thank you for your consideration of this petition and we look forward to further conversations.

In a post to social media over the weekend, “UChicago for Fair Tuition” claimed that approximately 1,000 students have promised to withhold tuition if the University of Chicago does not comply with their demands by April 29.

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