Parent Claims University of Tampa Owes Refunds for Cost of Online Spring 2020 Semester
by Erin Shaak
Fiore v. The University of Tampa
Filed: May 14, 2020 ◆§ 7:20-cv-03744
The parent of a University of Tampa student claims she and others are owed refunds for a portion of tuition and fees paid for the Spring 2020 semester.
The parent of a University of Tampa student claims she and others are owed refunds for a portion of tuition and fees paid for the Spring 2020 semester, which has been shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the lawsuit, the level of education provided by the University of Tampa after transitioning to online classes in mid-March is in “no way the equivalent” of the in-person experience that tuition and fees generally pay for. The case claims that although the school has canceled all in-person classes for the rest of the Spring semester and barred students’ access to campus facilities and services, it has unjustly retained the full amount of money already paid for these amenities.
“As a result of the closure of Defendant’s facilities, Defendant has not delivered the educational services, facilities, access and/or opportunities that Plaintiff and the putative class contracted and paid for,” the suit alleges.
The plaintiff, whose daughter is enrolled in UT’s nursing program, says she paid over $11,000 in tuition and fees for her daughter to attend the school for the Spring semester. The plaintiff claims that although the nursing program “relies extensively” on in-person instruction, peer collaboration, and access to the school’s facilities, none of these services have been provided by the defendant ever since UT transitioned to remote learning on March 16.
The case argues that even if the University of Tampa “did not have a choice” in canceling in-person classes in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, “it nevertheless has improperly retained funds for services it is not providing.”
The suit against the University of Tampa adds to a growing list of litigation filed against institutes of higher education by parents and students seeking refunds for the cost of the truncated Spring 2020 semester.
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