A Washington University student is suing the school, saying he didn’t shell out $28,000 for tuition to a world-class institution only to end up in online classes. It’s one of numerous lawsuits around the country claiming that the remote teaching necessitated by the pandemic has denied students the full college experience even though the colleges demanded full tuition.
The universities argue that since the students are still earning credit toward degrees, they’re getting what they paid for — an argument that diminishes the whole concept of higher education into little more than a cash transaction.
Like public elementary and high schools, universities and colleges were forced to close their doors in the spring semester and move classes online because of the pandemic. But unlike public schools, the students who attend universities are paying tuition — generally, these days, a sizable amount. They pay it to get in-person instruction from professors, interaction with other students and access to all of the amenities campus life offers.
Of course, it isn’t the universities’ fault they can’t provide that right now. But it isn’t the students’ fault either. Dozens of colleges and universities across the country are now being sued for partial tuition refunds. Among the plaintiffs is first-year Washington University business student Alexander Raimo of New Jersey.
Raimo’s lawsuit states that he enrolled at Washington U. “due to the strength of its academic program, and the opportunities afforded … to interact directly with brilliant faculty and peers.” What he got instead was online instruction — sometimes shortened, sometimes not even live — with no access to campus amenities.
The pandemic shutdown was entirely understandable, but students should be guaranteed the top-quality education they paid for. Consider the fact that any student who is comfortable settling for online instruction had that option, long before the pandemic, through colleges that specialize in it — generally at far less cost than attending a traditional university. There’s nothing wrong with driving an economy car, unless you paid for a Rolls-Royce.
Washington University’s position is that tuition refunds won’t be offered because “students will be completing their academic coursework online and receiving credit toward their degree programs.” But the college experience consists of far more than class credits.
Washington University and other colleges have vast overhead expenses and will likely have fewer paying students in the coming semesters because of the pandemic. But that doesn’t justify charging for a full college experience while delivering a bare-bones version of it.
These universities are in a difficult situation, but they’re also getting federal pandemic funding (including $6.4 million so far to Washington U., which has an $8.1 billion endowment). Perhaps some of that money should be used for partial rebates to students who, inarguably, didn’t get what they paid for.
