Fordham University Settlement: $2.5M+ Deal Resolves COVID-19 Tuition Refund Lawsuit

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A class action settlement worth more than $2.5 million wraps up a lawsuit that alleged Fordham University breached its contract with students when it stopped providing in-person classes and limited access to certain on-campus services during the Spring 2020 semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The $2,549,490 Fordham University class action settlement received preliminary approval from the court on September 30, 2026.

Eligible for the settlement are all students who were enrolled in at least one class originally scheduled to take place physically in-person during the Spring 2020 semester at Fordham who paid, or on whose behalf payment was made for, tuition and/or mandatory fees to Fordham University for the Spring 2020 semester, and who remained enrolled as of March 1, 2020.

The court-authorized Fordham University class action settlement website can be found at FordhamRefundLawsuit.com.

Court documents state that 65 percent of the net settlement fund will be allocated for undergraduate students, while the remaining 35 percent will be allocated for graduate students.

Individuals who were enrolled in online-only classes at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester, who paid no tuition or fees, or who left Fordham prior to March 1, 2020 are not eligible to participate in the settlement.

Settlement class members do not need to file a claim form to receive a pro rata (proportional) cash payment based on the net amount of tuition and fees they paid for the Spring 2020 semester.

Fordham University aid, grants, or other tuition and fee reductions that do not require repayment, as well as any unpaid balances, will not be counted toward tuition and fees paid to the school, court documents state.

Class members who wish to receive an electronic payment rather than a check can submit their payment election by navigating to this page and logging in using the notice ID and login ID found on their copy of the settlement notice. Alternatively, class members can fill out and sign the payment election form included with the settlement notice and return it by email, mail, or fax to the settlement administrator.

All Fordham University payment election forms must be submitted online, emailed, faxed, or postmarked by December 14, 2026.

The court will determine whether to grant final approval to the Fordham University class action settlement following a hearing on January 13, 2027. Compensation will begin to be distributed to class members only after final approval has been granted and any appeals have been resolved.

The Fordham University class action lawsuit alleged that the Bronx, New York-based private university breached its contract with students when it stopped providing in-person and on-campus educational services and access to certain campus services and facilities in or about mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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