Students who paid tuition or fees to the Illinois Institute of Technology for Spring 2020 will be paid automatically from a $1 million COVID tuition settlement, an equal share among roughly 6,200 class members; there is no claim form to file. September 10, 2026 is only the deadline to elect electronic payment or update an address.
What Is This Settlement About?
Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) has agreed to pay $1,000,000 to settle a class action alleging that students were entitled to partial refunds of tuition and fees for the Spring 2020 academic term. The plaintiffs allege that, because Illinois Tech transitioned to remote learning in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, students did not receive the full in-person education and on-campus services they had paid for. The case is captioned Hernandez v. Illinois Institute of Technology in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.Illinois Tech denies the allegations and the settlement resolves the claims without any admission of wrongdoing — the university maintains it moved to remote instruction to protect health and to comply with government shutdown orders. The Court has granted preliminary approval and scheduled a Final Approval Hearing for June 24, 2026; payments will be made only if the Court grants final approval and any post-approval issues are resolved.
Who Qualifies?
You are a member of the settlement class if you were an Illinois Tech student who paid, or were obligated to pay, tuition, fees, or other costs to Illinois Tech for the Spring 2020 academic term.You are not a class member if you were a student enrolled in an Illinois Tech education program that, before March 23, 2020, was offered exclusively online — those students' education did not change when the university moved on-campus instruction to remote learning.
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How Much Can You Get?
Illinois Tech agreed to pay a total of $1,000,000. A portion of that fund goes to Class Counsel for attorneys' fees and expenses (Class Counsel may request up to 33.33%, or about $333,300), service awards of up to $5,000 each for the class representatives, and the costs of administering the settlement. The remaining net fund is divided equally among the approximately 6,200 settlement class members.Because the fund is split equally rather than weighted by how much each student paid, every class member receives roughly the same amount. The exact per-person figure depends on the final deductions approved by the Court and the number of valid class members. Illinois Tech is one of several universities resolving COVID-era tuition claims — see also the Drexel University COVID tuition settlement and the USC COVID tuition refund settlement.
How Are Payments Made?
You do not need to file a claim form to receive a payment. If you do nothing, the settlement administrator will automatically mail a check to your last known address. Payments are distributed within 60 days after the settlement's Effective Date, which follows the Court's final approval and the resolution of any appeals.If you would rather receive your payment electronically by Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal, or you need to update your mailing address, you can submit an online election form using the unique ID and PIN printed on your settlement notice. The deadline to submit that form is September 10, 2026. This step is optional — class members who do nothing will still be paid by mailed check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is included in the Illinois Tech Spring 2020 tuition settlement?
Illinois Tech students who paid or were obligated to pay tuition, fees, or other costs for the Spring 2020 academic term. Students enrolled in programs offered exclusively online before March 23, 2020 are excluded.
Do I need to file a claim form?
No. Class members do not need to file a claim form to receive a payment. To receive an electronic payment or to update your mailing address, you can submit an online form using the unique ID and PIN from your settlement notice by September 10, 2026.
How much is the settlement?
Illinois Tech agreed to pay $1,000,000. After attorneys' fees, a class representative service award, and administration costs, the remaining fund is divided equally among the roughly 6,200 settlement class members.
When will payments be sent?
Payments are scheduled to be distributed within 60 days after the settlement's Effective Date, which follows the Court's final approval and the resolution of any appeals. The Final Approval Hearing is set for June 24, 2026.
Sources
- Official settlement website — ILTech 2020 Settlement.com
- Hernandez v. Illinois Institute of Technology, No. 1:20-cv-03010 (N.D. Ill.) — Justia docket
