The University of Tampa has reached a class action settlement with students for resolving allegations that it overcharged them for tuition during the Covid -19 pandemic with a $3.4 million fund. The settlement terms will benefit students of the University of Tampa who either paid or whose tuition fees were paid on their behalf for the 2020 spring semester and who stayed enrolled in the university as of 1st March 2020.
Settlement Website: UTSettlement.com
Objection Deadline: 08/30/2022
Exclusion Deadline: 08/30/2022
Claim Form: Not required
Deadline For Submitting Claim Form: Not applicable
Final Hearing Date: 10/18/2022
Settlement Amount: $3.4 million
Potential Claim Amount: Variable
Proof Of Purchase: Not applicable
When the Covid-19 pandemic attained a global scale in 2020, various universities across America didn’t close their campuses immediately. The University of Tampa was one such university that remained open during spring 2020 and it was only in March 2020 that the university switched to an online format to protect its students and faculties from the spread of the virus.
The move was required to protect the students of Tampa university but the institution fell prey to legal charges challenging its levy of tuition fees amidst the study-from-home setup. The Covid-19 tuition class-action lawsuit alleged that students shouldn’t be charged the full fees for the spring 2020 semester as the class moved to the virtual territory from the physical ones. Plaintiffs have argued they need to be refunded tuition and other fees paid for the spring 2020 semester as they were denied in-person access to campus resources and education.
Though the University of Tampa hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing, they have agreed to resolve the claims with a $3.4 million settlement. Class members will become eligible for a cash payment which will reimburse them for a part of the tuition fees paid for the Spring 2020 semester. Class members will be paid a proportional share of the net settlement fund depending on the amount paid by them during the semester. Students who paid more tuition and other fees will be eligible for a greater share of the settlement fund. No payment estimate has been made available to date on the settlement website.
Class members have to complete an election form by 30th August 2022 if they wish to receive their payment at a new address through an electronic payment format, as a donation to the university’s scholarship fund, or as a credit towards University of Tampa charges. No action is required on the behalf of class members to receive their portion of the settlement fund. However, they can update their address on the settlement website to ensure the payment reaches the right place.