Student sues BYU over paying full tuition for online classes

BYU student Chase Hiatt has filed a lawsuit against the university claiming the online education offered after March 13 was “subpar” and not what he paid for.

Hiatt, an undergraduate from Bountiful, Utah, is seeking the return of some of the tuition he paid “proportionate to the amount of time in the respective semesters when the University closed and switched to online only learning” and protection from paying full tuition this fall.

According to filing documents, Hiatt was enrolled in Winter Semester and Spring Term, and he is currently enrolled in Fall Semester as well.

“The online learning options being offered to BYU’s students are subpar in practically every aspect,” the lawsuit reads. It also states that the Pass/Fail option offered during Winter Semester provided an “educational leniency” that’s not available during a traditional semester.

The lawsuit also claims students suffered in other ways when classes went online, like less access to campus facilities and events.

BYU is not the only university to have a lawsuit brought against it over the unexpected transition to online classes. Universities like Yale and Harvard have been named in similar lawsuits, and according to an article on Market Watch, at least 100 universities had been sued as of May 22.

Tuition at BYU is $5,970 per year (two full semesters), while the average cost of tuition for an in-state public university is $10,440. Tuition for a private university averages $36,880 per year.