Education
Top Universities Conspiracy to Reduce Financial Aid Antitrust Class Action
This antitrust class action is aimed at an unusual target: sixteen elite universities, including Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Georgetown, and Yale, which the complaint calls “gatekeepers to the American Dream.” It alleges that the schools “have participated in a price-fixing cartel” that “has artificially inflated the net price of attendance for students receiving financial aid.” Read more
Rutgers Tuition Fee Refund Settlement
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, is spending $5 million to settle a class action alleging that it should offer partial refunds for the Spring 2020 semester. The campus closed in March 2020, in accordance with New Jersey state mandates, and the school switched to remote learning. The complaint alleged that it should offer Read more
SNHU Spring 2020 Tuition Settlement
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is settling a class action alleging it breached its contract with students to offer in-person learning during the Spring 2020 semester. The school transitioned to remote learning in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but did not offer refunds of any portion of the tuition. Read more
ProctorU Collection of Biometrics in Violation of BIPA Illinois Class Action
ProctorU, Inc. owns an online proctoring company that collects biometric information. The complaint for this class action alleges the company has collected, stored, and used biometric information from persons in Illinois without fulfilling the requirements of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Read more
ACT Test Takers with Disabilities Settlement
ACT, Inc. is known for its tests related to college admissions. This settlement resolves a class action against it concerning those who took its tests who had disabilities. The complaint claimed that ACT violated laws by doing a number of things: (1) reporting the disabilities of those who took the test on score reports to Read more
Northwestern University No Sound Facilities in Campus Closure Class Action
Like many universities and colleges, Northwestern University closed its campus and switched to online classes to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. And, like a number of other schools, it did not provide pro-rated refunds of tuition and fees paid in expectation of on-campus education for the Spring 2020 semester. The complaint brings suit against Read more
Suffolk University No Tuition Reductions for Spring or Fall 2020 Class Action
Businesses aren’t the only entities that have closed down to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Universities have closed their campuses and dormitories and taken classes to an online-only format. This class action brings suit against Suffolk University in the Boston metropolitan area for not refunding money paid for the curtailed Spring 2020 semester or upcoming Read more
Textbook Publishers, Retailers Inclusive Access Antitrust Class Action
The complaint for this class action brings suit against textbook publishers and campus book retailers, alleging that their Inclusive Access program amounts to a conspiracy to limit competition and keep textbook prices high. The three publisher defendants include Cengage Learning, Inc., McGraw Hill, LLC, and Pearson Education, Inc. The three retailer defendants are Barnes & Read more
DeVry University Graduate Placement and Income Statements Settlement
This settlement resolves a class action against Adtalem Global Education Group, Inc. and DeVry University, Inc. alleging that the companies made false statements about the outcomes of education at DeVry, in order to get students to enroll and pay more than they would have otherwise. According to the complaint, the companies fraudulently advertised (1) that Read more
CIEE Study-Abroad Programs Limit Covid-19 Refunds Class Action
CIEE, Inc. and the Council on International Educational Exchange provide college-level study abroad programs. When Covid-19 required the closing of overseas campus or required students to return to their homes, classes were moved online and students were able to receive credit, but they lost the “abroad” part of the programs. Despite this, the organization(s) have Read more
