$10M University of Southern California Settlement Ends Class Action Seeking Refunds for Spring 2020 COVID-19 Tuition

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The University of Southern California (USC) has agreed to a $10,000,000 settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that claimed the school owed partial refunds of tuition, fees, and other costs to students whose Spring 2020 academic terms were impacted by the transition to remote learning due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The USC COVID-19 settlement received preliminary approval from the court on October 22, 2025 and covers all students who paid (or were obligated to pay) tuition, fees, or any other costs to the University of Southern California for the Spring 2020 academic term amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Importantly, this class action settlement does not cover USC students who, prior to March 10, 2020, were enrolled in university programs already offered exclusively online.

The court-approved website for the USC class action settlement can be found at https://www.USCRemoteLearningLawsuit.com/.

According to the website, USC settlement class members do not need to do anything to receive reimbursement from the settlement. The settlement agreement explains that the cash award will be a one-time, pro-rated payment in an equal amount to all class members. The payout amount will depend on the number of individuals in the potential settlement class list provided by USC and how much remains in the settlement fund after the payment of attorneys’ fees, lead plaintiff service awards, and settlement administration costs.

Payment to class members will automatically be issued by check to the last known mailing address stored in USC’s systems, and all checks must be cashed within 180 days after issuance before expiration, the agreement adds.

Any USC class member who needs to update their mailing address, or who would prefer to receive their payout via electronic payment, should head to this page and complete all fields of the settlement election form with their relevant information, including the class member ID and PIN provided on their copy of the settlement notice.

All USC settlement election forms must be completed by class members by February 20, 2026 in order to receive payment.

The court will determine whether to grant final approval to the USC tuition refund settlement at a hearing on March 27, 2026. Compensation will begin to be distributed to class members only after final approval is granted and any appeals are resolved.

The USC COVID-19 class action lawsuit alleged that the university failed to provide in-person instruction and services during the Spring 2020 academic term and owed partial refunds of tuition and certain fees for that time period, given that the value of remote learning was less than that of in-person learning.

The case argued that students were deprived of the “full” university experience after the termination of in-person instruction, on-campus residences, shutting down sports, and closing all other in-person campus activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Did you know that some class action settlements require no proof to submit a claim? Check out the latest open class action settlements.