EAST LANSING, MI — Students at Michigan State University have filed a lawsuit against the university demanding refunds for tuition, room and board and other fees for campus services.

The lawsuit, filed by Milberg Phillips Grossman LLP, says that the university “has not offered adequate refunds of tuition, room and board, and fees paid to cover the cost of certain campus services which will no longer be available to students.” The lawsuit is seeking refunds from the university on a pro-rata basis, a press release from the law firm said.

About half of the spring 2020 semester remained when classes at MSU moved online due to to coronavirus concerns, the release said. Students were also told to leave campus housing for the remainder of the semester.

MSU charges approximately $10,522 for two semesters of room and board, the MSU Office of Admissions website says. The university offered a credit of $1,120 to students who moved out of campus housing by April 12, but the lawsuit says that’s less than half the pro-rata amount.

Michigan State University offering students more than $1,000 to move out early

The lawsuit says MSU has not offered partial tuition refunds that reflect the difference in value of live instruction versus online learning.

“Michigan State’s decision to end classes is understandable from a public health perspective, but the University’s refund policy is unfair to students,” Glenn Phillips, a partner at Milberg, said in the release. “Students paid for an on-campus experience and received an off-campus experience for one-quarter of the academic year, which amounts to an educational bait-and-switch.”

MSU spokesperson Emily Gerkin Guerrant said the university hasn’t been officially served on the lawsuit, so they haven’t been able to review it in detail. In a statement, Gerkin Guerrant said it would be inappropriate to comment on pending litigation, but “MSU is delivering what students pay for: courses taught by highly qualified faculty, tutoring services, faculty office hours, academic advising, financial aid and access to our libraries.”

While it’s a difficult time for MSU, Gerkin Guerrant said in a statement that is part of the reason the university has provided credits or prorations for many on-campus expenses like room and board, parking and recreational sports fees.

“But it is important to remember that while the university incurred many additional costs associated with rapidly transitioning to distanced learning – including investing in new hardware, software, 24/7 IT and help desk services and new course materials – we have maintained our commitment to providing meaningful and robust learning experiences at no additional cost to our Spartans," Gerkin Guerrant’s statement said.

Milberg Phillips Grossman LLP is a member firm of the Coronavirus Litigation Task Force, which was formed in March to investigate suspected wrongdoing related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release said. The firm filed a similar lawsuit against Purdue University on April 9, the release said.

More information on the Coronavirus Litigation Task Force can be found here.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

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