Who qualifies for the Drexel University COVID tuition settlement?

You qualify as a Settlement Class Member if you were a student enrolled at Drexel University during the Spring 2020 term and any portion of your payment obligation for tuition and/or fees for that term was satisfied. This includes payments you made yourself, payments made on your behalf, and partial payments. Students whose tuition and fees were fully funded by Drexel (for example, fully covered by a Drexel scholarship or grant) are not members of the Settlement Class. Eligibility is determined by Drexel's own enrollment and payment records, so there is no need to prove you were a student.

How much money will I get from the Drexel settlement?

Drexel University agreed to pay $2.2 million into a Settlement Fund. After deductions for attorneys' fees (up to one-third of the fund), litigation costs, a contribution award of up to $10,000 for the Settlement Class Representative, and Settlement Administrator expenses (projected not to exceed $50,000), the remaining Net Settlement Fund will be divided equally among all Settlement Class Members. Every class member receives the same amount; the payment is not based on how much tuition you individually paid. Court records indicate as many as 16,576 students could be eligible, so the equal shares are expected to be modest. The exact per-person amount depends on the final number of class members and the amounts the court approves for fees and expenses.

When will I get my Drexel settlement payment?

The Court has scheduled a Final Approval Hearing for August 5, 2026. If the Court approves the settlement at that hearing, payments will be distributed within 60 days after the settlement becomes final, as defined in the Settlement Agreement. The settlement becomes final after the approval is entered and any appeal period passes. Realistically, if the settlement is approved on schedule and no appeals are filed, class members could expect payments in late 2026. If appeals are filed, distribution could be delayed significantly.

What is the deadline for the Drexel settlement?

There is no claim deadline because no claim is required; payments are automatic. The important deadline is June 25, 2026, which is the postmark deadline to either opt out of the settlement or file an objection. Separately, class members who want to update their mailing address or choose Venmo or PayPal instead of a paper check must do so within 45 days after the Effective Date, which will be some time after the August 5, 2026 Final Approval Hearing and will be posted on the official Settlement Website.

I moved since attending Drexel. How do I make sure I get paid?

Because payments are sent automatically to the last known permanent mailing address on file with the Drexel University Registrar, class members who have moved since the Spring 2020 term should update their address through the official Settlement Website at the Deller v. Drexel settlement site. Class members can also use the Settlement Website to elect electronic payment by Venmo or PayPal instead of a mailed paper check, which avoids address issues entirely. The address update or payment election must be completed within 45 days after the Effective Date.

Drexel University COVID Tuition Class Action Settlement — $2.2M Fund, Automatic Payments for Spring 2020 Students

Q: Do I need to file a claim for the Drexel settlement?

No. This is an automatic payment settlement, so you do not personally submit a claim form or upload any documents. Proof of class membership is still required, but it is handled behind the scenes: eligibility is verified directly against Drexel's own Spring 2020 enrollment and tuition payment records. If the court approves the settlement and Drexel's records confirm you are a Settlement Class Member, your payment will be sent automatically by first class U.S. Mail to your last known permanent mailing address on file with the Drexel University Registrar. The only optional step is that you may visit the official Settlement Website to update your mailing address or to choose to receive your payment by Venmo or PayPal instead of a paper check. That optional step is not required to receive payment, but updating your address is strongly recommended if you have moved since attending Drexel.

Q: What is the Drexel University COVID lawsuit about?

The lawsuit, Deller v. Drexel University, was filed by former Drexel student Joshua Deller. It alleges that Drexel breached a contract or was unjustly enriched when it transitioned from in-person to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during the Spring 2020 term. The lawsuit claims students paid tuition and fees for in-person instruction, campus access, and on-campus services but received remote education instead, and were not given partial refunds. Drexel denies all allegations of wrongdoing and a court has made no finding of liability. Drexel has stated that students were notified before the term that classes would be remote and had the option to withdraw for a full refund. Both sides agreed to settle to resolve the matter promptly and avoid the cost and risk of continued litigation.

By Steve Levine

Drexel University COVID tuition refund class action settlement for Spring 2020 students

Published: May 12, 2026

Status Preliminarily Approved

Key Deadline June 25, 2026 opt-out and objection deadline · no claim deadline because payments are automatic

Settlement Fund $2.2 Million net fund divided equally among all class members · same amount per person

Proof Required Yes — Verified via Drexel Records eligibility confirmed through Drexel's Spring 2020 enrollment and tuition payment records · no claim form for the class member to submit · check mailed to address on file

What Is the Drexel University COVID Tuition Settlement About?

Were you a Drexel University student during the Spring 2020 term, when in-person classes moved online because of the COVID-19 pandemic? If you paid any tuition or fees for that term, you may automatically receive a payment from a $2.2 million class action settlement. There is no claim form to file; payments are sent automatically.

The lawsuit, captioned Deller v. Drexel University, Case No. 2:23-cv-03746, is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before Judge Joshua D. Wolson. The Drexel lawsuit was filed by former student Joshua Deller, who alleged that Drexel breached a contract or was unjustly enriched when it transitioned to remote learning in Spring 2020. The lawsuit claims students paid for in-person instruction, campus access, and on-campus services but received remote education instead, without partial refunds of tuition and fees.

Drexel denies all allegations of wrongdoing, and no court has found the university liable. Drexel has stated that students were notified before the Spring 2020 term that classes would be remote and had the option to withdraw for a full refund. Both sides agreed to settle to resolve the matter promptly and avoid the cost and risk of continued litigation. Under the agreement, Drexel will pay $2,200,000 into a Settlement Fund. The Court granted preliminary approval of the settlement in March 2026. The Settlement Administrator is RG/2 Claims Administration LLC. Class Counsel is Lynch Carpenter LLP and Leeds Brown Law P.C.

30-Second Self-Test: Do I Qualify for the Drexel Settlement?

If you can answer yes to the question below, you are likely a Settlement Class Member.

• Were you enrolled as a student at Drexel University during the Spring 2020 term, and was any part of your tuition and/or fees payment obligation for that term satisfied? This includes payments you made yourself, payments made on your behalf by family or others, financial aid that was not a full-ride, and partial payments of any kind.

If you answered yes, you are likely included and do not need to do anything to receive a payment. The one group excluded: students whose tuition and fees were fully funded by Drexel (for example, a Drexel scholarship or grant that covered 100 percent of tuition and fees) are not members of the Settlement Class. Eligibility is determined by Drexel's own enrollment and payment records.

Do I Need to File a Claim or Provide Proof?

You do not personally submit a claim form or upload any documents — but proof of class membership is still required. It is just handled behind the scenes: eligibility is verified directly against Drexel's own Spring 2020 enrollment and tuition payment records. In other words, the records check is the proof, and Drexel and the Settlement Administrator do the work, not you. Here is how it works:

• Eligibility comes from Drexel's records. Drexel already knows who was enrolled during Spring 2020 and who satisfied tuition and fee obligations. The Settlement Administrator uses those records to identify Settlement Class Members.
• Payment is automatic. If the settlement is approved, your payment is sent automatically by first class U.S. Mail to your last known permanent mailing address on file with the Drexel University Registrar.
• No claim form, no proof, no deadline to claim. Because the payment is automatic, there is no claim form to complete and no claim deadline to miss.
• One optional step: you may visit the official Settlement Website to update your mailing address or to choose to receive your payment by Venmo or PayPal instead of a paper check. This step is optional, but recommended if you have moved since attending Drexel.

The practical takeaway: most class members do not need to do anything at all. The only people who should take action are those who have moved since Spring 2020 (update your address) or who would prefer an electronic payment (elect Venmo or PayPal).

How Much Will My Drexel Settlement Payment Be?

Drexel agreed to pay $2.2 million into the Settlement Fund. That amount is reduced by several court-approved deductions to reach the Net Settlement Fund:

• Attorneys' fees of up to one-third (33 and one-third percent) of the Settlement Fund
• Class Counsel's out-of-pocket litigation costs
• A contribution award of up to $10,000 for the Settlement Class Representative, Joshua Deller
• Settlement Administrator expenses, projected not to exceed $50,000

Whatever remains, the Net Settlement Fund, is divided equally among all Settlement Class Members. This is an important detail: every class member receives the same dollar amount, regardless of how much tuition any individual student actually paid. The settlement does not pay larger amounts to students who paid more.

Court records indicate as many as 16,576 students could be eligible. With a Net Settlement Fund in the range of roughly $1.4 million after typical fee and expense deductions, divided equally among a class of that size, individual payments are expected to be modest, likely in the range of a small flat amount per student. The exact per-person figure will not be known until the final class count is set and the Court approves the fee and expense amounts.

Your Three Options as a Drexel Settlement Class Member

As a Potential Settlement Class Member, you have three options. For most people, the first option (do nothing) is the simplest and results in a payment.

Option 1: Do nothing and receive a payment. If you do nothing and the Court approves the settlement, you automatically receive your equal share of the Net Settlement Fund, mailed to your address on file. You give up the right to sue Drexel separately over the Spring 2020 remote learning transition. This is the option most class members will choose.

Option 2: Opt out of the settlement. If you opt out, you will not receive a payment, but you keep any individual legal claims you may have against Drexel relating to the remote learning transition. Opting out must be done in writing, individually, postmarked no later than June 25, 2026. Be aware that the statute of limitations may affect your ability to bring your own lawsuit later.

Option 3: Object to the settlement. If you believe the settlement is unfair, unreasonable, or inadequate, you can stay in the settlement and file a written objection asking the Court to reject it. You cannot both opt out and object; only participating class members may object. Objections must be postmarked no later than June 25, 2026. If your objection is overruled and the settlement is approved, you still receive a payment and remain bound by the settlement.

Key Drexel Settlement Deadlines

• Opt out of the settlement by: Thursday, June 25, 2026 (postmark deadline)
• Object to the settlement by: Thursday, June 25, 2026 (postmark deadline)
• Class Counsel attorneys' fee request filed by: June 11, 2026 (will be posted on the Settlement Website)
• Final Approval Hearing: Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
• Address update or Venmo/PayPal election: within 45 days after the Effective Date (the Effective Date will be set after the August 5, 2026 hearing and posted on the Settlement Website)
• Class period covered: Spring 2020 term

Note there is no claim deadline on this list, because no claim is required. The single most important date for most class members who have moved is the address update deadline, 45 days after the Effective Date.

When Will I Receive My Drexel Settlement Payment?

Payment timing depends on the Court's final approval and whether any appeals are filed.

• Final Approval Hearing: August 5, 2026. The Court decides whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate.
• Settlement becomes final: after the Court enters final approval and any appeal period passes without appeal.
• Payment distribution: within 60 days after the settlement becomes final.
• Best case (no appeals): if the settlement is approved on schedule and no appeals are filed, class members could realistically expect payments in late 2026.
• If appeals are filed: distribution could be delayed by 12 to 36 months while the appellate court reviews the settlement.

Because payments go to the address on file with the Drexel Registrar, the best thing class members can do to avoid payment delays is to update their address (or elect Venmo/PayPal) on the Settlement Website once that option opens after the August 2026 hearing.

What If I Moved Since Attending Drexel?

This is the most common practical issue with the Drexel settlement. Many Spring 2020 Drexel students have graduated, transferred, or simply moved since then, and the settlement payment is mailed to the last known permanent mailing address on file with the University Registrar.

If you have moved, you have two good options, both handled through the official Settlement Website:

• Update your mailing address so the paper check is sent to where you actually live now.
• Elect electronic payment by Venmo or PayPal instead of a paper check, which sidesteps the address issue entirely.

Either action must be completed within 45 days after the Effective Date, which will be posted on the Settlement Website after the August 5, 2026 Final Approval Hearing. If you think you might be a class member and have moved, the simplest move is to check the Settlement Website after the hearing and either update your address or switch to electronic payment.

COVID University Tuition Settlements: The Bigger Picture

The Drexel settlement is one of many COVID-19 tuition and fee class action settlements that have moved through the courts since 2020. Students at universities across the country filed similar breach of contract and unjust enrichment lawsuits after campuses closed and instruction moved online in Spring 2020, arguing that they paid for an in-person educational experience they did not fully receive.

Universities have generally denied wrongdoing, often arguing that students were notified of remote learning in advance and that emergency public health measures justified the transition. Many of these cases have nonetheless resolved through settlements similar in structure to the Drexel settlement: a fixed fund, divided among students who paid tuition and fees for the affected term. If you attended a different university during Spring 2020 and paid tuition and fees, it may be worth checking whether that school has its own COVID tuition settlement.

Check the OCA database of open class action settlements for other active education and consumer settlements.

How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?

Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon as they are open to claims:

Settlement Website: DrexelCovidSettlement.com

Visit Settlement Website

Official Settlement Notice

Sources

• Official Settlement Website: DrexelCovidSettlement.com
• Deller v. Drexel University, Case No. 2:23-cv-03746, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Hon. Joshua D. Wolson presiding
• Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit
• Settlement Agreement available at DrexelCovidSettlement.com

Filing Class Action Settlement Claims

This settlement pays Settlement Class Members automatically; there is no claim form to submit and no proof required. If you have questions about your eligibility or payment, review the information at DrexelCovidSettlement.com or contact the Settlement Administrator. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news site and is not the Settlement Administrator or a law firm, and we do not process or decide claims.

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Drexel COVID Tuition Settlement Snapshot
Status	Preliminarily Approved — Final Approval Hearing August 5, 2026
Settlement Fund	$2,200,000
Per-Class-Member Benefit	Equal share of the Net Settlement Fund (same amount for every class member, regardless of tuition paid)
How to Claim	No claim required — payment is automatic by first class U.S. Mail to the address on file with the Drexel Registrar
Optional Action	Update mailing address or elect Venmo/PayPal payment via the Settlement Website, within 45 days after the Effective Date
Opt Out Deadline	Thursday, June 25, 2026 (postmark)
Object Deadline	Thursday, June 25, 2026 (postmark)
Final Approval Hearing	Wednesday, August 5, 2026, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Payment Timing	Within 60 days after the settlement becomes final
Class Period	Spring 2020 term
Who Is Eligible	Students enrolled at Drexel during the Spring 2020 term who satisfied any portion of their tuition and/or fees obligation
Who Is Excluded	Students whose tuition and fees were fully funded by Drexel
Estimated Class Size	As many as 16,576 students (per court records)
Court	U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Judge	Hon. Joshua D. Wolson
Case Number	2:23-cv-03746
Case Title	Deller v. Drexel University
Settlement Class Representative	Joshua Deller (contribution award up to $10,000)
Category	COVID-19 Tuition Refund / Breach of Contract / Unjust Enrichment
Legal Claims	Breach of contract; unjust enrichment
Settlement Administrator	RG/2 Claims Administration LLC
Class Counsel	Lynch Carpenter LLP; Leeds Brown Law P.C.
Proof Required to File?	Yes — eligibility is verified using Drexel's own enrollment and tuition payment records for Spring 2020. Class members do not submit a claim form or upload any documents themselves; the records check is performed by Drexel and the Settlement Administrator.
Official Website	Drexel Covid Settlement