University of Washington $4M COVID Tuition Settlement

Students who were enrolled in and paid for the University of Washington’s in-person based educational programs, services or courses for the spring or winter quarter 2020 academic terms may qualify to receive a cash payment from a class action settlement.

The University of Washington agreed to pay $4 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it failed to provide in-person educational services after transitioning to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The settlement resolves claims that students were entitled to partial refunds of tuition and fees for those terms.

Who qualifies for a University of Washington payment?

Class members must meet all of the following criteria:

• They were enrolled in the University of Washington’s in-person based educational programs, services or courses.
• They paid for those programs, services or courses.
• They attended during the spring or winter quarter 2020 academic terms.

How much can class members receive?

Pro rata payment: Each eligible class member will receive an equal share of the settlement fund after deductions for attorneys’ fees, a class representative service award and settlement administration costs. There are approximately 56,000 eligible students.

No action needed to receive payment

Class members do not need to file a claim to receive their cash payment. Class membership is determined using university records. The settlement administrator will automatically mail a check to each class member’s last known address as reflected in university records.

Alternatively, class members can choose to receive payment via Venmo or PayPal or update their mailing address by submitting a payment election form online or by downloading, printing and completing a PDF form and mailing it to the settlement administrator. The deadline to submit the payment election form is Aug. 18, 2025.

To submit a payment election form, class members need the unique ID and PIN located on the settlement notice they received. To submit the form online, they also need the PIN.

Settlement administrator's mailing address: Epiq Class Action & Claims Solutions Inc., Care of P.O. Box 3727, Portland, OR 97208-3727

Payout options

• Paper check mailed to the last known address (default option)
• Venmo (if selected via the online payment election form)
• PayPal (if selected via the online payment election form)

$4 million COVID tuition settlement fund breakdown

The $4,000,000 settlement fund:

• Settlement administration costs: To be determined
• Attorneys’ fees: Up to $1,200,000
• Service award to class representative: $7,500
• Payments to eligible class members: Remainder of the fund

Any unclaimed funds after checks expire will be split between the Legal Foundation of Washington and UW Emergency Aid for student assistance.

Important dates

• Deadline to update payment information: Aug. 18, 2025
• Deadline to opt out of the settlement: Aug. 18, 2025
• Final approval hearing: Oct. 17, 2025

When is the University of Washington litigation payout date?

Payments to class members will be made approximately 70 days after the court grants final approval of the settlement and any appeals are resolved.

Why was there a class action settlement?

The class action lawsuit alleged the University of Washington failed to provide in-person educational services after transitioning to remote instruction in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiff claimed students were entitled to partial refunds of tuition and fees for the spring and winter 2020 quarters.

The university denies all allegations but agreed to settle to avoid the uncertainty, expense and burden of continued litigation.

Sources

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