Winthrop University refunds $3.7M in student fees due to coronavirus
Winthrop University has refunded more than $3.7 million to students due to coronavirus changes, a release states.
Due to the virus, known as COVID-19, Winthrop moved classes online for the remainder of the semester. The change has led to student and staff refunds and unexpected costs.
University leaders predicted earlier this month that the virus could cost Winthrop up to $7 million.
Winthrop adjusted housing, dining and parking fees for nearly 3,000 students, the release states. Refunds are first applied to any balances due on students’ accounts.
“Thanks to the good work of a team of individuals from residence life, finance, information technology, and financial aid, fee adjustments were made to impacted student accounts last week,” Interim President George Hynd said in a prepared statement. “As mentioned previously, some fee adjustments resulted in a refund if a student’s account was current, while other fee adjustments reduced the student’s balance owed to the university.”
The university also canceled all on-campus events and will decrease tuition for summer classes, The Herald previously reported.
Winthrop will receive funding from the state and through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, the release states. The university expects to receive $5.4 million, half of which will be provided as emergency assistance to students.
“We are still awaiting clarity about how we will be allowed to disperse funds to students, but we know that this assistance must be provided to degree-seeking students, both graduate and undergraduate, enrolled this spring,” reads a message from Hynd. “Our students have been impacted in truly unimaginable ways. Hopefully these resources will abate some of their financial stress.”
Winthrop leadership has not finalized how the funds will be distributed, but is considering Pell grant eligibility for undergraduate students, reads the message. Graduate students also will receive funds.
The rest of the funds will help Winthrop offset coronavirus-related costs, the message states. Specifics are not yet available.
“We are eagerly awaiting more information. We know that some capital and pre-recruitment activities are excluded, and that there is an expectation, but not a requirement, for maintaining payroll,” Hynd said in a prepared statement.
For more information, students should contact Student Financial Services at SFS@winthrop.edu.
