Ithaca College $1.5M COVID Tuition Class Action Settlement

Ithaca College

Students enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student on campus at Ithaca College during the spring 2020 semester and who did not withdraw before March 23, 2020, may qualify to claim a cash payment from a class action settlement.

Ithaca College agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging it breached its contract with students by transitioning to remote learning and closing campus facilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who is eligible to make a claim?

Class members must meet all of the following criteria:

They enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student on campus at Ithaca College during the spring 2020 semester.
They did not withdraw from the college before March 23, 2020.
They paid tuition and fees for the spring 2020 semester (from any source except a scholarship or grant from Ithaca College to Ithaca College)
They did not receive a full refund of their tuition and fees for that semester.

Ithaca College’s records determine class member eligibility.

Who is excluded from the class?

Certain individuals are not eligible to participate in this settlement:

Students who registered exclusively for online-only classes at the beginning of the spring 2020 semester
Students who paid no tuition or fees (for example, those who received more in scholarships or grants from Ithaca College than their costs for tuition and/or mandatory fees)
Students who left, withdrew or completed their academic studies before March 23, 2020

How much can class members receive?

Pro rata payment: Each eligible class member will receive a share of the net settlement fund. The amount is based on the proportion of net tuition and fees each student paid for the spring 2020 semester compared to the total net tuition and fees paid by all class members for that semester.

In addition to the pro rata payment, class members will receive:

A one-time tuition credit of $800 if they attend graduate school at Ithaca College (excluding physician assistant graduate programs)
A complimentary ticket to alumni weekend available for two calendar years after the settlement’s final effective date

No action needed to receive payment

Class members do not need to file a claim to receive their settlement payment. If they take no action, the settlement administrator will mail a check to the last known address on file with Ithaca College after the court approves the settlement.

However, if a class member wishes to receive payment electronically or update their mailing address, they should complete the online election form. To do so, they need to provide the Apex ID and PIN from their settlement notice. The deadline to submit the election form is Oct. 5, 2025.

Payout options

Venmo
PayPal
Check mailed to last known address (default)

$1.5 million settlement fund breakdown

The $1,500,000 settlement fund includes:

Settlement administration costs: $75,000
Attorneys’ fees: Up to $500,000
Attorneys' costs: Up to $45,000
Service award to the lead plaintiff: Up to $10,000
Payments to eligible class members: The remainder of the fund

Important dates

Deadline to submit election form: Oct. 5, 2025
Final approval hearing: Oct. 28, 2025

When is the Akerman v. Ithaca College payout date?

The settlement administrator will issue payments approximately 60 days after the court grants final approval of the settlement.

Why did this class action settlement happen?

The class action lawsuit alleged Ithaca College breached its contract with students by moving to remote learning and closing campus facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiff claimed this deprived students of in-person educational services and access to campus resources.

Ithaca College denies any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid the expense and uncertainty of continued litigation.