Empty Harvard Yard. Photo via Reuters
College students are revolting against their universities for charging full tuition as the coronavirus has forced schools to move online.
Why it matters: "The coronavirus crisis is forcing a reckoning over the price and value of higher education" but universities aren't giving into the demands, the WashPost's Nick Anderson writes. As schools start planning for the possibility of remaining online in the fall, they will face more pressure to cut prices so they can continue to attract students.
- Some students are filing lawsuits against their schools over tuition, including at the University of Miami and Liberty University.
- American University in Washington, D.C., did slash the cost of tuition for summer classes since those will be taught online.
Context, per The Post: "Schools geared toward full-time students ... offer, in normal times, academic programs with a personal touch, including seminars, laboratory classes, office hours and research opportunities with faculty."
- "Much of that vanished when campuses shuttered last month."
The bottom line: Several U.S. universities have given students partial refunds for their room and board since sending students home.
- But, but, but: Most schools haven't budged on tuition, arguing classes are continuing and credits still be allotted.
Go deeper: Virus-driven shift to online classes brings home the digital divide