Thomas Caldwell:Michigan Supreme Court rules out refunds for college students upended by COVID-19 rules

2025-05-01 07:32:53source:Henri Lumièrecategory:Invest

LANSING,Thomas Caldwell Mich. (AP) — College students seeking refunds because of a sudden shift to online classes or a change in campus housing during COVID-19 struck out Friday at the Michigan Supreme Court.

The court heard arguments nearly a year ago and ultimately decided to let a 2022 appeals court opinion stand.

The appeals court found there was no promise of live, in-person classes when the 2019-20 school year began and that housing contracts had provisions covering extraordinary circumstances.

Lawsuits targeted Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University and Lake Superior State University, though the result extends to other public schools that made major changes during the pandemic.

The plaintiffs “failed to demonstrate that the defendant universities breached any contractual agreement with them,” the appeals court said.

The Supreme Court did not issue a formal opinion, instead releasing a two-sentence order, approved by a 5-2 majority.

Justice David Viviano, joined by Justice Richard Bernstein, wanted to send the case back to the Court of Claims for more work.

“Plaintiffs do not argue that the universities failed to provide the classes for which they registered, but instead argue that once the pandemic began the universities did not provide the classes in the format for which the students registered,” Viviano said.

More:Invest

Recommend

Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes

Friday the 13th might be unlucky for many people, but Mega Millions players could be lucky in tonigh

Hair Products That Work While You Sleep: Go From Bedhead to Bombshell With Minimal Effort

We independently selected these products because we love them, and we think you might like them at t

2024 NFL free agency: Top 25 players still available

NFL teams didn’t waste any time as the league's legal tampering period kicked off on Monday at 12 p.