College tuition refunds, recoveries from an uphill battle amid coronavirus | Pay for college

Amid the coronavirus pandemic that has forced U.S. colleges to send students home and move on to online classes, students across the country are asking tuition fees refunds and discounts. Some have taken legal action, while others are simply planning not to pay.

Put simply, “zooming university is not worth $ 50,000 a year,” wrote one student in a petition calling for New York University to provide partial tuition reimbursements, with reference to the popular video conferencing tool. Another argued: “I did not pay to attend the zoom.”

Students and parents across the country have expressed frustration with what they perceive to be sub-par education, canceled classes, and a loss of the opportunities and supports a college campus provides, such as networking and access to laboratories and facilities.

In NYU, where the cost of tuition and fees is $ 53,308 for 2019-2020, more than 11,500 students have signed the petition from publication. Students say they don’t get what they pay for: they describe their frustration with Zoom’s limitations and infrequent online lessons; courses paid for but canceled without refund; and the courses lack critical elements such as mock essays, art projects or clinical experience.