All Rutgers students enrolled in Spring 2020 semester will receive funds from $5 million U. settlement

All of Rutgers' approximately 65,000 students who paid tuition and fees in the Spring 2020 semester will receive a refund between $50 and $70 each as a result of a $5 million settlement reached by the University in a class-action lawsuit last Friday, according to an article from MyCentralJersey.

Students will receive the funds in the form of a credit on their next tuition and fee bill. Those who are eligible but no longer attend the University can have the money delivered to them in the form of a check or deposited to their Venmo or PayPal accounts.

In addition, students also have the option to donate their portion of the settlement to the Rutgers coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Dean of Students Emergency fund, according to the article.

The lawsuit was initially filed in May 2020 by a parent who felt that their child did not receive the education they paid for following the University’s transition to all virtual instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The settlement was tentatively reached in October 2021 after the lawsuit was initially dismissed in December 2020 and later appealed, according to the article. It was officially finalized by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Alberto Rivas last Friday.

The firms involved in the lawsuit will receive $950,000 in legal fees as a result of an agreement reached by both parties. Two class representatives in the case will receive $2,500 each.

The University has no additional information to provide, said University spokesperson Dory Devlin.