$580K Stratford University Settlement Resolves Data Breach Lawsuit Over 2022 Cyberattacks

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

Stratford University has agreed to pay a $580,000 settlement to resolve a proposed class action lawsuit that alleged negligent cybersecurity on the part of the Virginia-based private college resulted in two data breaches in April and August 2022.

Don’t miss the next class action settlement deadline. Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter.

The court-approved website for the Stratford University data breach settlement can be found at StratfordUniversityDataIncident.com.

The agreement with Stratford University, which received preliminary court approval on December 13, 2024, covers any United States residents who were sent a direct notice of the data breaches by the college in January 2023.

Eligible class members must submit a valid claim form by April 14, 2025 to receive Stratford University settlement benefits.

To file a claim form online, head to this page. You will need to provide your unique notice ID and confirmation code, which are located on the personalized settlement notice you should have received in the mail or via email.

To submit a Stratford University claim form by mail, you can download a PDF claim form or contact the settlement administrator to request a paper copy.

According to the Stratford University settlement website, class members may file a claim for two years of credit monitoring services at no cost, a benefit open to all individuals regardless of whether they accepted the college’s prior offer of complimentary services following the incidents.

In addition, the site says class members who submit a timely, valid claim form are eligible to receive up to $5,000 in reimbursement per person for documented out-of-pocket expenses that were incurred on or after April 2022 and are “more likely than not” linked to the data breaches. Per the website, out-of-pocket costs may include unreimbursed losses related to the misuse of personal information; expenses necessary to access, freeze or unfreeze credit reports with a credit reporting agency; notary, fax, postage, mileage or long-distance telephone charges; fees for credit repair services; and other miscellaneous costs.

Moreover, eligible class members can file a claim for up to five hours of lost time spent dealing with the impact of the incidents, at a rate of $25 per hour, the site adds.

Alternatively, consumers can elect to forego the aforementioned payments for out-of-pocket costs and lost time in favor of a $100 cash payout, the website shares.

The site notes that all cash benefits provided by the class action settlement are subject to adjustment on a pro rata basis.

The court will determine whether to grant final approval to the Stratford University class action settlement at a hearing on May 30, 2025. Settlement benefits will be issued to eligible class members only after the deal receives ultimate approval and goes into effect.

According to the lawsuit against Stratford University, the 2022 data breaches compromised the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of former students, employees or affiliates of the college. The private university reportedly closed that same year due to accreditation issues.

Head to ClassAction.org’s settlements page for a complete list of data breach settlements.