6 protections called for in Tuition Payer Bill of Rights – UB
100+ lawsuits have been filed by families seeking tuition and fee refunds from colleges and universities
College and university students deserve a range of guaranteed consumer protections, according to a Tuition Payer Bill of Rights released Wednesday by a coalition of advocacy organizations.
The bill of rights comes as more than 100 lawsuits have been filed by families seeking tuition and fee refunds from colleges and universities that shifted to online learning when the COVID pandemic began this spring.
“We are not questioning the importance of higher education,” James Toscano, president of Partners for College Affordability and Public Trust, said in an online press conference Wednesday. “We are here to advocate for better consumer protections for this major monetary investment.”
Students feel they have no guarantee that online learning this fall will be equivalent to in-person instruction or that they will have access to the facilities and services they need, Toscano said.
“Today’s college students don’t have a clear assurance of what school is going to cost nor what they have actually paid for,” he said.