If you were a Penn College undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in at least one in-person, on-campus class at Penn College during the Spring 2020 Semester who did not withdraw by March 18, 2020, for whom any amount of tuition and/or fees was paid to Penn College from any source other than a scholarship, grant, or tuition remission from Penn College, and whose tuition or fees have not been fully refunded by Penn College. But you are not a Settlement Class Member if you opt out of the Settlement, or if you received a full scholarship, grant or tuition remission from Penn College and thus did not pay any tuition or fees for the Spring 2020 semester.
A Settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit between Pennsylvania College of Technology (“Defendant” or “Penn College”) and Plaintiffs who allege that they and the Settlement Class Members are entitled to partial refunds of tuition and fees for the Spring 2020 Semester because Penn College transitioned to remote learning in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The case is Lawson, et al. Pennsylvania College of Technology, Case No. 21-1134, Court of Common Pleas of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania (the “Lawsuit”). The proposed Settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Penn College, and Penn College denies all allegations of wrongdoing and disclaims all liability with regard to all claims in the Lawsuit. Penn College also maintains that it transitioned to remote instruction to protect the health of its students, faculty, and staff and in compliance with mandatory government shutdown orders, and settled this lawsuit to avoid further litigation. The Court has granted preliminary approval of the Settlement. The Court has not decided who is right. Under the Settlement Agreement, Penn College will pay $1,850,000. Some of that will go to Class Counsel for attorneys’ fees and expenses, a class representative award, and the costs of administering the settlement.
The Court will hold the Final Approval Hearing on December 12, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. ET, at the Court of Common Pleas of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, 48 W. Third Street, Courtroom #2, Williamsport, PA 17701.
Description | Due Date | |
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Do Nothing |
Settlement Class Members who do nothing automatically receive a payment by check after the Effective Date to the student’s last known mailing address as reflected in Penn College's records . You will give up any rights you may have to sue Penn College about the issues in the Lawsuit. |
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Change Your Payment Options |
Settlement Class Members may use this site to (a) provide an updated address for sending a check or (b) elect to receive the payment digitally by Venmo or PayPal instead of a check. |
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Exclude yourself |
You will not receive a payment, but you will retain any rights you have to sue Penn College about the issues in the Lawsuit. |
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Object |
Write to the Court explaining why you don’t like the Settlement. If the Court approves the Settlement, you will be bound by the Court’s decision and the Settlement Agreement. |
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Attend A Hearing |
Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the Settlement. |