Colorado State University Students Petition for Tuition Refunds, Get Denied
Colorado State University students recently created a petition asking the administration to refund their tuition for services they no longer have access to because of COVID-19.
Posted on change.org, the petition states that CSU students are unable to use campus facilities, including the Student Recreation Center and residence halls, that they had paid for with their tuition.
So far, 5,623 people have signed the petition, with many students lamenting having to pay for parking passes and out-of-state tuition for online classes.
The university's provost, Rick Miranda, responded to the petition on Monday (March 30) in a message to students and families, stating that "tuition and fee refunds are currently not being offered."
He noted that online instruction is not less expensive than in-person instruction, explaining that any savings from not using campus buildings has been offset by the cost of moving online "virtually overnight."
In response to concerns about student fees, Miranda pointed out that many of the programs available because of the fees, such as mental health services and career counseling, are still accessible to students virtually.
He then expressed his gratitude for CSU students, advising them to "...move forward, knowing CSU faculty and staff are working with you, and doing all that we can to ensure your academic and personal success."
CSU did announce that they were waiving dorm cancellation fees on March 18.
Despite Miranda's message, the petition is still available to sign.