Hofstra Student Sues School For Tuition Refund

UNIONDALE, NY — A Hofstra University student has filed a class-action lawsuit against the school in an attempt to be refunded tuition money after the university canceled in-person classes and moved all learning online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hannah Buckley, who filed the lawsuit, said that the online classes were not what she paid for, and were "ineffective" in many cases.

“So while students enrolled and paid [Hofstra] for a comprehensive academic experience, [Hofstra] instead offers [Buckley] and the Class Members something far less: a limited online experience presented by Google or Zoom, void of face-to-face faculty and peer interaction, separated from program resources, and barred from facilities vital to study,” the lawsuit reads.

Hagens Berman, the law firm representing Buckley, has brought similar lawsuits against many other schools, including Boston University, Duke University, Georgetown University and more.

The lawsuit, which was filed on June 1, accuses Hofstra of breach of contract, unjust enrichment and conversion for charging students full tuition but not giving them a full classroom experience.

The class action filed June 1, 2020, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York accuses the university of breach of contract, unjust enrichment and conversion for “continuing to reap the financial benefit of millions of dollars from students” despite sending students home and closing campus due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, and seeks to represent anyone who paid those costs at Hofstra for the spring 2020 semester.

In the suit, Buckley said that the online classes paled to the in-person learning she was expecting. One professor cancelled all classes for the remainder of the semester and assigned an option final exam. Another, Buckley said, used old PowerPoint slides that used outdated information that was not on the final exam.

According to the complaint, for the spring 2020 term, Hofstra charges $23,225 for tuition, between $5,480 and $8,858 for room, between $525 and $2,734 per term for dining, up to $105 per term as a technology fee, a $345 university fee, a $120 residence life fee and an $80 student activity fee. The lawsuit is seeking to have the fees refunded, as well as pay for the cost of bringing the lawsuit.

“We believe that it is unethical and outright unacceptable for Hofstra to continue to expect the full amount of tuition, room and board and other campus-based costs levied for the spring 2020 semester given what has happened,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for students in the class action. “Our client and others just like her are reporting exceptionally subpar educational experiences and have clearly not received what they paid Hofstra for. We think they deserve payback.”