$2.2M Drexel University Settlement Ends Lawsuit Over COVID-19 Tuition Refunds

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

Drexel University has agreed to a $2,200,000 settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that alleged the Pennsylvania university owed partial refunds of tuition and fees to students who were deprived of in-person classes during their Spring 2020 academic terms after the transition to remote learning at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Get class action lawsuit and class action settlement news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter.

The $2.2 million Drexel University class action settlement received preliminary court approval on March 19, 2026 and covers all enrolled students at Drexel during the Spring 2020 term who paid any tuition and/or fees for that term, or who were credited with having paid the same for the Spring 2020 term.  

Court documents state that the Drexel University COVID-19 settlement does not include students who were enrolled solely in online classes through Drexel University online and/or whose tuition fees were fully funded by the university. 

ClassAction.org will update this page when the Drexel University settlement website is live.

According to court documents, Drexel University settlement class members do not need to do anything to receive a pro-rated one-time cash payment. Specifically, the agreement states that each class member will receive an equal share of the amount remaining in the net settlement fund after the payment of attorneys’ fees, settlement administration costs and lead plaintiff service awards, and the final amount of each share will depend on the total value of these court-approved deductions.

Per the agreement, the settlement administrator will distribute payments by check to the last known personal mailing address on file with the University Registrar. All settlement checks must be cashed within 180 days of issuance before expiration, settlement documents state. 

The agreement states that Drexel class members will be able to provide an updated address or choose to receive their benefit as an electronic payment by email or through a form on the settlement website once it is launched.

The court will determine whether to grant the Drexel COVID-19 settlement final approval following a hearing to be scheduled for a later date. Compensation will begin to be distributed to class members only after final approval has been granted and any appeals have been resolved.

The Drexel University class action lawsuit claimed that students enrolled at the Philadelphia university were deprived of the “full” university experience after the transition to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The filing stressed that students who paid tuition for in-person classes during the Spring 2020 term expected to receive the full benefit of their investment but were instead charged the same price for a lesser online learning experience without access to university facilities and resources.  

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