University of Rochester $3.5M COVID-19 Tuition Settlement

University of Rochester

University of Rochester students who paid or caused to be paid tuition and/or mandatory fees to attend in-person courses at the University of Rochester in the spring, summer or fall of 2020 and did not receive in-person learning may qualify to claim a cash payment from a class action settlement.

The University of Rochester agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it failed to provide in-person instruction and services after transitioning to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit claimed students were entitled to partial tuition and fee refunds for courses that moved online.

Who qualifies for a University of Rochester payout?

Class members must meet all of the following criteria:

They were a student or learner at the University of Rochester.
They paid or caused to be paid tuition and/or mandatory fees (including academic service fees, activity fees, campus health fees and/or course fees) to the university.
The payment was for attending in-person courses in the spring 2020, summer 2020 or fall 2020 semesters.
The courses were part of a degree- or certificate-bearing University of Rochester program.
The courses were not provided in-person (i.e., they transitioned to remote or online learning).

The class is estimated to include approximately 10,000 members.

Who does not qualify for a settlement payment?

Students who did not enroll in in-person classes at Rochester for the spring 2020, summer 2020 or fall 2020 semesters.
Students who received exclusively in-person classes for all classes enrolled during those semesters.
Students who received a refund, gift aid or scholarships covering all tuition and mandatory fees for each semester in which they enrolled in in-person classes but did not receive them.

How much can class members receive?

Pro rata payment: The settlement administrator will distribute $3,500,000 to eligible class members after deducting attorneys’ fees, a service award for the named plaintiff and the costs of administering the settlement.

The amount each class member receives will be determined on a pro rata basis using a formula that considers:

The amount of tuition and mandatory fees paid for each covered semester
The proportion of credit hours that were supposed to be in-person but were delivered online
For spring 2020, only 50% of the semester is considered (representing the portion not provided in-person)

Each class member’s share of the net settlement fund is based on their total calculated amount divided by the sum of all class members’ calculated amounts multiplied by the net settlement fund (after deductions).

If funds remain after the initial round of payments, the settlement administrator will make a second distribution on a pro rata basis to settlement class members who cashed their initial check unless the second distribution would result in a payment of less than $10 per class member. The settlement administrator will then donate any final remaining funds to the University of Rochester's Basic Needs Fund as a cy pres award.

No claim form necessary to receive payment

Class members do not need to file a claim to receive payment. The settlement administrator already has the information needed to determine eligibility and payment amounts for class members.

The settlement administrator will make payments automatically, either electronically (if the settlement administrator has a valid email address for the class member) or by check (if only a mailing address is available).

Class members can update their contact information, change payment options or direct their payment to the University of Rochester’s Basic Needs Fund by contacting the settlement administrator.

Settlement administrator's contact information: Carstairs v. University of Rochester, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 16, West Point, PA 19486, 833-215-9289, questions@URSettlement.com

$3.5 million settlement fund breakdown

The $3,500,000 settlement fund includes:

Settlement administration costs: $50,000
Attorneys’ fees: Up to $1,166,666.66
Service award to the named plaintiff: $5,000
Payments to eligible class members: Remainder of the fund

Important dates

Exclusion/opt-out deadline: Oct. 14, 2025
Final approval hearing: Nov. 13, 2025

When is the University of Rochester settlement payout date?

If the court grants final approval and there are no appeals, the settlement administrator will distribute payments approximately 61 days after final approval.

Why is there a class action settlement?

The class action lawsuit alleged the University of Rochester failed to provide in-person instruction and related services after transitioning to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiffs claimed they were entitled to partial refunds of tuition and fees.

The university denied any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid further litigation costs and uncertainty.