$7.85M University of Pittsburgh Settlement Resolves Lawsuit Over COVID Tuition, Fee Refunds

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The University of Pittsburgh has agreed to pay a $7.85 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that alleged the college should have issued partial refunds of tuition and fees to students whose Spring 2020 semester was impacted by the pandemic-induced move to remote learning.

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The University of Pittsburgh class action settlement received preliminary approval from the court on April 14, 2025. The $7,850,000 deal covers all students who were enrolled in at least one in-person course during the Spring 2020 semester at the University of Pittsburgh or any of its branch locations but whose course or courses were transitioned to remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the University of Pittsburgh settlement agreement, eligible class members are entitled to receive a pro-rated share of what remains of the settlement fund after the payment of administration expenses, attorneys’ fees and service awards.

Related Reading: University of Pittsburgh Facing Another Class Action Seeking Refunds for Pandemic-Shortened Spring Semester

Eligible students do not need to do anything to receive their University of Pittsburgh settlement payout, court documents say. Class action settlement checks will be mailed automatically to each class member’s last known mailing address on file with the university.

Students who want to receive their settlement rebate via Venmo or PayPal, or who want to provide an updated address, must submit an election form within 45 days following the date the settlement goes into effect. Election forms can be filed online through the University of Pittsburgh settlement website once it is launched.

ClassAction.org will update this page when the official website for the University of Pittsburgh class action settlement goes live.

Per the agreement, settlement rebates will be based on the total amount of tuition and fees all class members were assessed during the Spring 2020 semester compared with how much each individual paid, minus financial aid and any related refunds already distributed. No eligible student will receive less than $50, the document shares.

According to court documents, a final approval hearing is scheduled for July 7, 2025, at which time the court will decide whether to ultimately approve the terms of the University of Pittsburgh COVID-19 tuition settlement.

Settlement notices will be sent by mail or email, and the settlement website will be established, within 45 days of the deal’s April 14 preliminary approval date, the settlement agreement states.

If the settlement receives final approval, and after any appeals are resolved, payouts will be issued to eligible class members within 60 days following the date the deal goes into effect.

Court records show that the University of Pittsburgh class action lawsuit was previously dismissed by United States District Judge William S. Stickman on April 27, 2021. The plaintiffs appealed the judge’s decision, and the dismissal was reversed in part by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on August 11, 2023.

Court documents indicate that the class action suit was reopened on September 7, 2023, and proceedings and negotiations continued until the recent multimillion-dollar settlement was reached.

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