Southern New Hampshire University Plans to Settle Spring Tuition Class Action Dispute

Southern New Hampshire University and a group of its students and former students have agreed to settle a class action lawsuit over tuition and fees from the Spring 2020 semester.

The complaint in Briana Wright v. Southern New Hampshire University alleged SNHU breached its contract with its students to provide in-person educational services for the Spring 2020 Semester after the university was forced to switch quickly to remote learning in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

To do what is best for SNHU’s learners, the parties have agreed to settle the dispute for $1.25M to be paid toward partial refunds for students. Both parties believe this settlement will avoid drawn out litigation costs and put money back into the hands of students so that they may continue to focus on their studies and careers.

This settlement should not be understood as an admission of any liability. SNHU strongly believes faculty and staff went above and beyond to help its students finish the semester strong and worked tirelessly to deliver the best SNHU experience possible given the extraordinary circumstances. SNHU also issued pro-rated room and board refunds during the spring semester and many students were eligible for additional CARES Act funds to help offset the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The settlement agreement was submitted to the court for preliminary approval on March 3, however a judge still needs to review and give final approval to the settlement agreement, which may take weeks or months. SNHU will not be responsible for the administration of the payments. Once there is a final ruling in the case, students entitled to monetary compensation will be notified by the class administrator.