Class Action Claims Drew University Refused to Refund Tuition, Fees for Spring Semester Disrupted by Pandemic

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Drew University faces a proposed class action seeking tuition and fee refunds for the Spring 2020 semester that was transitioned to an online-only format in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Although Drew’s response to the pandemic deprived students of the in-person education and services for which they paid tuition and fees, the school has yet to offer a refund to those who paid for in-person classes for the Spring 2020 semester, the lawsuit claims.

The suit says Drew University closed its Madison, New Jersey campus in mid-March 2020 and thereafter held classed in an online format for the remainder of the semester. Per the case, the online learning options offered to students were “subpar in practically every aspect” and worth far less than the value of the in-person education for which students contracted and paid.

The lawsuit argues that students, in the wake of the campus closure, were deprived of access to in-person dialogue, feedback and critique in addition to campus facilities, services and materials. The remote learning options were “in no way the equivalent” of an in-person educational experience, according to the suit.

Further, the tuition and fees paid for in-person enrollment at Drew were meant to cover not only academic instruction but “an entirely different experience” that was to include face-to-face interaction with faculty and peers; access to campus facilities, such as libraries, computer labs, laboratories, and study rooms; student governance, unions, activities, and sports; social development and independence; hands-on learning; and network and mentorship opportunities.

One of the plaintiffs, who completed her bachelor’s degree in fine arts at the end of the Spring 2020 semester, says she was unable to collaborate with others or use on-campus resources “in the manner necessary for success in her field of study.” Moreover, office hours for her professors were “essentially non-existent” given they were unable to meet with their students in person.

“Email is simply no substitute for instances where additional teaching is required,” the complaint states.

The case adds that even if Drew University claims it had no choice in canceling in-person classes, the school has nonetheless improperly retained funds for services it failed to provide for approximately 49 percent of the semester.

The lawsuit against Drew, which was recently removed from New Jersey Superior Court to the state’s District Court, echoes a bevy of other cases filed against colleges and universities over their alleged refusal to issue refunds for tuition and fees in the wake of the pandemic-related closures.

ClassAction.org’s coverage of COVID-19 litigation can be found here and over on our Newswire.

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