College/Universities not offering refunds for 2020 Year

[Anonymous]

The fine print says nothing about face-face instruction, either. So, yeah, pony up that last tuition payment or your kid won’t get his/her transcript.

[Anonymous]

I'd be a little pissed paying $70k for online classes.

[Anonymous]

So what do you geniuses suggest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd be a little pissed paying $70k for online classes.

I’m paying 75k each for two DC who are now home and will be learning online. I think their colleges have done the best they could in a very difficult and dynamic situation and the last thing i am concerned with right now is trying to claw back money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be a little pissed paying $70k for online classes.

I’m paying 75k each for two DC who are now home and will be learning online. I think their colleges have done the best they could in a very difficult and dynamic situation and the last thing i am concerned with right now is trying to claw back money.

What are you going to do next year if they can’t go back in the fall? I have two hs seniors who are supposed to start at 2 different colleges in the fall - neither of which is worth the price for online learning only. They were chosen for academics, of course, but most importantly for fit. If the kids aren’t living there, I would have to give serious thought to spending the money, especially if the market doesn’t recover. Obviously, this is premature and a first world problem (most important issue is minimizing loss of life) but it is something I will think about the longer this goes on.

[Anonymous]

Can I have a refund of my taxes if public schools are closed the rest of the year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can I have a refund of my taxes if public schools are closed the rest of the year?

Shut up. Idiot.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I think it's very generous that colleges and universities are refunding for room and board. It's not like they can re-purpose those dorm rooms...they are just losing that money that they expected to get, which will be millions of dollars. The idea that you should get tuition back is ridiculous. Universities are making huge efforts to deliver content online...this is not an easy task, and you should be grateful that your kid is getting to finish the semester. Get over yourself and understand that this is a totally unforeseen situation that nobody could have planned for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I think it's very generous that colleges and universities are refunding for room and board. It's not like they can re-purpose those dorm rooms...they are just losing that money that they expected to get, which will be millions of dollars. The idea that you should get tuition back is ridiculous. Universities are making huge efforts to deliver content online...this is not an easy task, and you should be grateful that your kid is getting to finish the semester. Get over yourself and understand that this is a totally unforeseen situation that nobody could have planned for.

+ yup, this. It sucks. I’m not saying it doesn’t. People are losing money on everything. It’s better you lose some money than the universities have to refund every student and then go bankrupt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be a little pissed paying $70k for online classes.

I’m paying 75k each for two DC who are now home and will be learning online. I think their colleges have done the best they could in a very difficult and dynamic situation and the last thing i am concerned with right now is trying to claw back money.

What are you going to do next year if they can’t go back in the fall? I have two hs seniors who are supposed to start at 2 different colleges in the fall - neither of which is worth the price for online learning only. They were chosen for academics, of course, but most importantly for fit. If the kids aren’t living there, I would have to give serious thought to spending the money, especially if the market doesn’t recover. Obviously, this is premature and a first world problem (most important issue is minimizing loss of life) but it is something I will think about the longer this goes on.

That’s a good question. One is graduating but the other is entering junior year and planning to study abroad in the spring. I think we will just take it one day at a time and hope for the best. I suppose a gap year might be a good option if the situation hasn’t normalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I think it's very generous that colleges and universities are refunding for room and board. It's not like they can re-purpose those dorm rooms...they are just losing that money that they expected to get, which will be millions of dollars. The idea that you should get tuition back is ridiculous. Universities are making huge efforts to deliver content online...this is not an easy task, and you should be grateful that your kid is getting to finish the semester. Get over yourself and understand that this is a totally unforeseen situation that nobody could have planned for.

+ yup, this. It sucks. I’m not saying it doesn’t. People are losing money on everything. It’s better you lose some money than the universities have to refund every student and then go bankrupt.

Another +1 to both above. Our DC's school is not refunding room and board but giving credit for them so when DC eventually returns (even if it's next school year) that expenditure will be credited to us. I too think it's generous of the college. All colleges are doing the best they can in a totally unprecedented situation. Their employees, from the president to professors to dining hall staff and cleaners, ALL deserve their pay in full at this time; they have obligations and families too. I know the professors are working as hard as they can right now to make courses that were never designed to be taught online (such as lab-based science and performing arts) SOMEHOW work that way at least for now. It's personal -- half my DC's current course load is classes that are not really doable online, but the professors are having to rethink the very core of how these courses work. I do not envy them and I certainly don't begrudge them their pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This line of reasoning is SO entitled and uninformed.

I am a college professor. I cannot tell you how much extra work it is to take fully developed in person courses and convert them to DL (distance learning) format. We are also having to take intensive training in multiple platforms, to pull this off. You do NOT deserve a refund of tuition if your school is finishing classes up online. We don't push some button and that all works, seamlessly. I know science professors who are in labs doing experiments, so kids have data to analyze and write up from home.

Jeez, this is a national crisis. You likely deserve room and board credits. But you do not deserve tuition refunds. Trust me, from someone on the inside (who is working way more, and harder, than I was when we were doing in person teaching).

YOU are the entitled one. You were paid to provide a service. You're not providing it. The moral thing to do is return the money until you figure your shit out. And no, you don't deserve to be paid while you do that.

Online teaching is teaching , stupid. So education is taking place.

And what makes you think that being a professor is a volunteer job????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I think it's very generous that colleges and universities are refunding for room and board. It's not like they can re-purpose those dorm rooms...they are just losing that money that they expected to get, which will be millions of dollars. The idea that you should get tuition back is ridiculous. Universities are making huge efforts to deliver content online...this is not an easy task, and you should be grateful that your kid is getting to finish the semester. Get over yourself and understand that this is a totally unforeseen situation that nobody could have planned for.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This line of reasoning is SO entitled and uninformed.

I am a college professor. I cannot tell you how much extra work it is to take fully developed in person courses and convert them to DL (distance learning) format. We are also having to take intensive training in multiple platforms, to pull this off. You do NOT deserve a refund of tuition if your school is finishing classes up online. We don't push some button and that all works, seamlessly. I know science professors who are in labs doing experiments, so kids have data to analyze and write up from home.

Jeez, this is a national crisis. You likely deserve room and board credits. But you do not deserve tuition refunds. Trust me, from someone on the inside (who is working way more, and harder, than I was when we were doing in person teaching).

YOU are the entitled one. You were paid to provide a service. You're not providing it. The moral thing to do is return the money until you figure your shit out. And no, you don't deserve to be paid while you do that.

Online teaching is teaching , stupid. So education is taking place.

And what makes you think that being a professor is a volunteer job????

Man, I hope you are not a professor, wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This line of reasoning is SO entitled and uninformed.

I am a college professor. I cannot tell you how much extra work it is to take fully developed in person courses and convert them to DL (distance learning) format. We are also having to take intensive training in multiple platforms, to pull this off. You do NOT deserve a refund of tuition if your school is finishing classes up online. We don't push some button and that all works, seamlessly. I know science professors who are in labs doing experiments, so kids have data to analyze and write up from home.

Jeez, this is a national crisis. You likely deserve room and board credits. But you do not deserve tuition refunds. Trust me, from someone on the inside (who is working way more, and harder, than I was when we were doing in person teaching).

Well, you sure sound entitled yourself. If I pay for a service of specific quality and that quality is not met, of course I deserve a refund. And, of course, if the university keeps you employed, you deserve your salary. You assume I, the consumer, pay directly your salary. No, I pay the university, which has its own mechanisms, including insurance, bankruptcy coverage, and so on.

It's not about faculty not doing their job, it's about the contract signed. Does it say in small print "and it's valid even for online teaching in emergency situations"? If yes, then I should pay. If not, then let's talk about it. We anyway don't pay real price, i.e., quality of teaching. Some pay for brand, for the child's experience, especially for ivies, expensive privates, rubbing elbows with so and so ... how is that going on work with DL?

NP: would you rather have the university close and receive a partial refund for the semester? Are you saying that people shouldn't pay for a course that is taught online under these circumstances?