Illinois Tech $1 Million Tuition Class Action Settlement

Illinois Institute of Technology students who paid or were obligated to pay tuition, fees or other costs for the spring 2020 academic term may qualify to receive a cash payment from a class action settlement. The settlement class includes approximately 6,200 students.

Illinois Institute of Technology agreed to pay $1,000,000 to settle a class action lawsuit. The plaintiff claimed that students were entitled to partial refunds of tuition and fees after Illinois Tech transitioned to remote learning in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who are the class members?

Class members must meet the following criteria:

• They enrolled as a student at Illinois Tech for the spring 2020 academic term.
• They paid or were obligated to pay tuition, fees or other costs to Illinois Tech for Spring 2020 term.

Who is excluded from the class?

Students enrolled in Illinois Tech’s education programs that, prior to March 23, 2020, the school offered exclusively online do not qualify to participate in the settlement.

How much are settlement payments?

Pro rata cash payment: Eligible class members will receive a pro rata cash payment from the net settlement fund. The settlement administrator will determine the final payment amount by the number of participating class members.

No claim form required

Class members do not need to complete a claim form to receive payment. However, to receive electronic payment or provide an updated mailing address, they can submit an online form using the unique ID and PIN from their settlement notice.

The deadline to submit the form is Sept. 10, 2026.

Payout options

• Paper check mailed to the address on file (only option unless the class member submits an online form)
• Venmo
• Zelle
• PayPal

Settlement fund breakdown

The $1,000,000 settlement fund will include:

• Settlement administration costs: Estimated $30,000
• Attorneys’ fees: Up to $333,300
• Attorneys' expenses: To be presented to the court for approval at a later date
• Service awards to class representatives: Up to $5,000 each
• Payments to eligible class members: Remaining settlement funds

Important dates

• Exclusion deadline: May 28, 2026
• Final approval hearing: June 24, 2026
• Election form deadline: Sept. 10, 2026

When is the Illinois Tech COVID-19 tuition settlement payout date?

The settlement administrator will distribute payments to eligible class members approximately 90 days after the court grants final approval of the settlement.

Why did this class action settlement happen?

The class action lawsuit alleged Illinois Tech students who paid or were obligated to pay tuition, fees or other costs for the spring 2020 semester were entitled to partial refunds because the university switched to remote learning in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiffs argued online classes diminished the value of their education and campus services.

Illinois Tech denied the allegations but agreed to settle to avoid the uncertainty and expense of continued litigation.

Sources

1. Class notice
2. Settlement website FAQ page
3. Settlement agreement