Northwestern University COVID Tuition Settlement

IF YOU PAID TUITION TO NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY FOR THE SPRING 2020, SUMMER 2020, AND/OR FALL 2020 QUARTERS, YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION FROM A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT.

A settlement has been reached in the above-entitled action. The Settlement provides for a Gross Settlement Fund of $4,000,000.00, which will be used to pay Costs and Fees with the Net Settlement Fund distributed to Class members. If the Court gives final approval of the settlement, Northwestern University (“Northwestern”) will provide the benefits in the settlement, and you may be entitled to a portion of the Net Settlement Fund. The purpose of this website is to inform you of the settlement so that you may decide what steps to take in relation to it.

The Settlement provides for a Gross Settlement Fund of $4,000,000.00, which will be used to pay Costs and Fees with the Net Settlement Fund distributed to Class members.

Class Members who enrolled in the Spring 2020 quarter or term at any of Northwestern’s campuses in the United States are eligible for a pro rata distribution out of an allotment of 75% of the Net Settlement Fund. This pro rata amount for Spring term claims is approximately $153. (These figures are approximate as they will depend upon the exact amounts ultimately approved by the Court for Fees and Costs in this case.)

Class Members who enrolled in the Summer 2020 quarter at any of Northwestern’s campuses in the United States are eligible for a pro rata distribution out of an allotment of 7% of the Net Settlement Fund. This pro rata amount for Summer term claims is approximately $61.

Class Members who enrolled in the Fall 2020 quarter or term at any of Northwestern’s campuses in the United States are eligible for a pro rata distribution out of an allotment of 18% of the Net Settlement Fund. This pro rata amount for Fall term claims is approximately $35.

Class Members who enrolled in more than one of the relevant quarters or terms at any of Northwestern’s campuses in the United States are eligible to receive a distribution, as set forth above, for each quarter or term that they were enrolled. For example, if a Class Member was enrolled in both Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 terms, then they will receive both the $153 for their Spring term claim and $35 for their Fall term claim, for a combined total of approximately $188.

You are a member of the Class if you fit the following description: you were a full-time student enrolled in degree-conferring programs at Northwestern University campuses in the United States for Spring 2020, Summer 2020 and/or Fall 2020 quarters or terms, and whose tuition was not fully funded by Northwestern in any of the respective quarters or terms (Spring 2020, Summer 2020, or Fall 2020) in which you were thereby enrolled. You are not a Class Member if you are related or married to the District Judge or Magistrate Judge presiding over this Action, the judge’s law clerk, a current or former trustee, officer, director, agent, attorney, or employee at Northwestern, or you opt out of the settlement.

Rights and Options If you are a Class Member, you must decide how you wish to handle the settlement and exercise your options as detailed below, including meeting any associated deadline.		Deadline
EXCLUDE YOURSELF	Get out of this settlement and get no money. If you ask to be excluded from the settlement, you are not eligible to share in the benefits of the settlement. Instead, you will keep any rights to sue Northwestern separately over the legal claims in this Action.	July 13, 2026
DO NOTHING	Receive the benefits in the Settlement. If you do nothing and the Court approves the settlement, you will receive a portion of the Net Settlement Fund. If you would like to receive your portion of the Net Settlement Fund through digital means such as Venmo or PayPal instead of a physical check, or to update your address for a physical check, then you must submit the Election Form by mail or online here.
OBJECT	Challenge the settlement. You may file a written objection telling the Court why you object to (i.e., don’t like) the settlement and think it should not be approved. Submitting an objection does not exclude you from the settlement.	July 13, 2026
GO TO THE FINAL APPROVAL HEARING	Go to Court. The Court will hold a “Final Approval Hearing” to consider the fairness of the settlement, the request for attorneys’ fees and costs of the lawyers who brought the Action, and the Plaintiffs’ requests for a Service Award for bringing the Action. You may, but are not required to, speak at the Final Approval Hearing about any objection you filed to the settlement. If you intend to speak at the Final Approval Hearing, you must also submit a “Notice of Intention to Appear” indicating your intent to do so.	August 7, 2026, at 10:00 AM

These rights and options—and the deadlines to exercise them—are explained further in the Notice and on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page of this website.