As a student, Oliver Williams, paid approximately $8,550 in tuition and $6,145 in mandatory fees to Mercer University (“Mercer”) for the Spring 2020 semester. Included in Mr. Williams’ mandatory fees was a $150 facility and technology fee, a $3,795 housing fee, a $75 study abroad free, a $500 study abroad deposit and program fee, and a $1,625 study abroad program fee. On March 15, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercer moved all coursework online. Around the same time, Mercer also stopped providing any services or facilities the mandatory fees were intended to cover. Mercer, however, did not provide refunds to students when it stopped providing services and operating these facilities.
To fight for Mr. Williams’ tuition refund and others similarly situated, the Sultzer Law Group commenced a putative class action on their behalf. Our team of attorneys were able to successfully argue that Mercer’s Motion to Dismiss Mr. Williams’ claims should not be granted since there is sufficient evidence that Mercer is not entitled to full tuition payments without providing students the promised in-person learning experience.
What is the takeaway? If you paid significant tuition fees for the Spring 2020 semester for an in-person campus experience and your university moved learning to a full remote basis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be entitled to a tuition refund. Call our team of attorneys today at (800) 552-0265 to learn more.