Nova Southeastern University Faces Lawsuit Seeking Refunds for Semesters Disrupted by COVID-19

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Nova Southeastern University faces a proposed class action that claims students are owed refunds for tuition and fees paid for this year’s semesters interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The suit, filed by an undergraduate, relays that the Broward County, Florida school suspended in-person classes on March 13 and decreed online learning would begin on March 23 and continue through the rest of the Winter and Summer semesters, and possibly further.

Per the case, although Nova Southeastern has failed to provide the in-person education and services for which students contracted and paid, the university has refused to issue tuition and fee refunds.

“In short, Plaintiff and the members of the Class have paid for tuition for a first-rate education and an on-campus, in-person educational experiences [sic], with all the appurtenant benefits offered by a first-rate University, and were provided a materially deficient and insufficient alternative, which constitutes a breach of the contracts entered into by Plaintiff with the University,” the complaint states.

Students who enrolled in Nova’s Winter 2020 semester—which began on January 6 and ended May 3—specifically chose to participate in the university’s in-person educational program “with the understanding that Nova Southeastern would provide in-person educational opportunities, services, and experiences,” the lawsuit says.

Instead, students received online instruction that was, according to the lawsuit, “subpar in practically every aspect” compared to the educational experience they expected to receive and for which they paid thousands in tuition and mandatory fees.

The case alleges the online learning options offered to students were devoid of opportunities for collaborative learning and failed to foster the development of memorization and study skills.

“The online formats being used by Nova Southeastern do not require memorization or the development of strong study skills given the absence of any possibility of being called on in class and the ability to consult books and other materials when taking exams,” the complaint contends.

Further, Nova Southeastern’s failure to provide access to libraries, laboratories, computer labs, recitations, study rooms and other services “integral to a University education” hindered students’ academic development, independence and networking opportunities, the suit alleges.

All told, the lawsuit claims the online education provided by Nova Southeastern paled in comparison to the in-person experience at which tuition and fees were priced. Nevertheless, the defendant has refused to offer a refund or discount for the Winter and Summer 2020 semesters, the suit says.

The case comes as part of an ongoing trend of litigation filed against colleges and universities nationwide over their apparent refusal to issue tuition and fee refunds for the semesters affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ClassAction.org’s coverage of COVID-19 litigation can be found here and over on our Newswire.

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