Fordham University $2.55 Million COVID Class Action Settlement, Who Qualifies, How Payments Work and the December 14, 2026 Deadline

Fordham University has agreed to pay $2,549,490 to settle a class action over tuition and mandatory fees for the Spring 2020 semester, after the university moved in-person classes and campus services online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible students don’t need to file a claim. If they stay in the settlement and do nothing, a check is planned for their last known mailing address after final approval.

The case is Conley et al. v. Fordham University, Index No. 810808/2025E, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Bronx County, before Justice Sophia B. Hershman. The court granted preliminary approval on September 30, 2026. Final approval is pending. Fordham denies liability and wrongdoing, and no court has ruled that Fordham was required to refund the tuition or fees at issue.

December 14, 2026 is not a claim deadline. It is the deadline to choose PayPal or Venmo instead of a check, to opt out or to object. The final approval hearing is January 13, 2027, at 2:15 p.m.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Settlement fund	$2,549,490 (gross)
Defendant	Fordham University
Case	Conley et al. v. Fordham University
Index number	810808/2025E
Court and judge	N.Y. Supreme Court, Bronx County; Justice Sophia B. Hershman
Class representatives	Cooper Conley and Henry Wallace
Class counsel	Leeds Brown Law, P.C. and Lynch Carpenter, LLP
Administrator	Apex Class Action, LLC
Status	Preliminary approval granted; final approval pending
Claim form required	No
Default payment	Paper check to last known address
Payment election, opt-out and objection deadline	December 14, 2026
Final approval hearing	January 13, 2027, 2:15 p.m., 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451
Official website	fordhamrefundlawsuit.com

Why Did Students Sue Fordham?

Fordham suspended in-person classes around mid-March 2020, moved instruction online for the rest of the semester and restricted access to campus and some services and facilities. The plaintiffs argue students paid tuition and mandatory fees for an education that included in-person classes, campus access and related services, and that Fordham kept the money even though it stopped providing some of those things. They sought a prorated refund that accounts for the remote instruction and services Fordham did deliver.

Their claims were:

• Breach of contract: Fordham allegedly failed to provide the services and campus experience students contracted and paid for.
• Quasi-contract and unjust enrichment: Fordham allegedly shouldn’t keep money for services it didn’t provide.

The lawsuit doesn’t challenge Fordham’s decision to respond to the public-health emergency by going remote. The dispute is over whether Fordham could keep all of the tuition and fees afterward. Fordham denies the allegations and asserts defenses. The parties say they settled to avoid the cost and uncertainty of more litigation, including the risk of no recovery at all.

Who Qualifies?

The class is all students who were enrolled in at least one class originally scheduled to take place physically in person during Spring 2020 at Fordham, who paid (or on whose behalf someone paid) tuition and/or Mandatory Fees for that semester, and who remained enrolled as of March 1, 2020. You qualify if all three conditions are true:

1. You were enrolled in at least one Fordham class originally scheduled to meet in person in Spring 2020.
2. You or someone on your behalf paid tuition or mandatory fees for that semester.
3. You were still enrolled on March 1, 2020.

If a parent paid your tuition, you can still qualify. The class definition expressly covers payments made on a student’s behalf.

If you graduated or moved, the published definition doesn’t make current residence an eligibility condition. Update your address with the administrator so a check isn’t mailed to an old one, and if you live outside the United States, ask the administrator about delivery.

Not eligible: students who enrolled only in online classes at the start of the semester, students who paid no tuition or mandatory fees and students who left Fordham before March 1, 2020. Getting a notice means Fordham’s records suggest you may be eligible, but your actual enrollment and payment facts still have to fit the definition.

How Much Will Each Student Receive?

There’s no flat amount. The $2,549,490 is the gross fund. After court-approved deductions, what’s left is the Net Settlement Fund, which is split 65% for undergraduates and 35% for graduate students. Within each group, payments are prorated by the net amount of Spring 2020 tuition and mandatory fees each student actually paid.

The calculation leaves out Fordham aid and grants that don’t have to be repaid, other non-repayable reductions and unpaid balances. A student who paid more qualifying tuition and fees gets a larger share than one who paid less, so two students in the same group can receive different amounts.

Requested deductions

Deduction	Amount
Attorneys’ fees	Up to $849,830 (one-third of the gross fund)
Litigation expenses	Up to $20,000
Service award, Cooper Conley	$3,000
Service award, Henry Wallace	$3,000
Administration costs	Expected not to exceed $50,000

All of these are subject to court approval. If every maximum were approved, the net fund would be about $1,623,660, which would break down to roughly $1,055,379 for undergraduates and $568,281 for graduate students. That is arithmetic from the notice’s figures, not a confirmed result.

Your own notice shows an estimated award and the net tuition and fees Fordham’s records say you paid. That personal figure is more reliable than any guess from the gross fund. I haven’t included a $15 minimum payment or a 150-day check-expiration rule that some other settlement sites report, because I couldn’t find either in the official notice or the administrator’s FAQs.

Do You Need to File a Claim?

No. The settlement is built for automatic payments to eligible class members who don’t opt out. If you take no action, you stay in the settlement, you don’t have to prove what you paid and a check is planned for your last known address after final approval.

Choosing PayPal or Venmo

The one reason to act is to get paid electronically. By December 14, 2026:

1. Go to the official payment election page.
2. Enter the Notice ID and Login ID printed on your notice.
3. Choose PayPal or Venmo and submit.

You can also return the signed Election Form by mail, email or fax. Keep proof of when and how you sent it, since an incomplete or late form can delay payment.

Conley et al. v. Fordham University c/o Apex Class Action, LLC P.O. Box 54668 Irvine, CA 92619

Email: [email protected] | Fax: (949) 989-4428 | Phone: 1-800-355-0700

Lost your login details?

Contact Apex at 1-800-355-0700 or [email protected]. Losing the paper notice doesn’t cost you the default check, since no claim form is required for it.

Key Dates

Date	What happens
September 30, 2026	Preliminary approval granted
October 28, 2026	Notice emailed to class members
November 4, 2026	Notice mailed to class members
December 14, 2026	Payment election, opt-out and objection deadline
January 13, 2027, 2:15 p.m.	Final approval hearing

Your Options

Do nothing. You stay in the class, get an automatic check at your last known address after final approval and release claims tied to the Spring 2020 remote transition.

Submit an Election Form. Pick PayPal or Venmo by December 14, 2026.

Opt out. Send a signed written statement with your name, mailing address and phone number clearly saying you opt out. It must go by first-class U.S. mail, postage prepaid, to the Apex address above and be postmarked by December 14, 2026. You get no payment, you can’t object afterward and you aren’t bound by the release. Opting out doesn’t guarantee an individual suit will succeed or recover anything.

Object. You stay in the class and tell the court why the settlement is unfair, unreasonable or inadequate. A written objection must be postmarked by December 14, 2026 and mailed to the Apex address. It must include:

1. Your name, address and phone number
2. An explanation of why you’re a class member
3. Every ground for the objection, with supporting legal authority and evidence
4. The name and contact information of every lawyer representing, advising or assisting you, or who may profit from the objection
5. A statement of whether you intend to appear at the hearing, personally or through a lawyer
6. Copies of supporting documents
7. A list of any objections you or your lawyer filed in U.S. state or federal class actions in the past five years, or a statement that there were none
8. Your signature, and your lawyer’s signature if you have one (a lawyer’s signature alone isn’t enough)

An incomplete objection may be rejected or stricken. You don’t have to attend the hearing for a timely written objection to be considered, but to speak you must give the required notice of intention to appear, and you pay your own costs. If the court rejects your objection and approves the settlement, you’re still bound.

What Rights Do You Give Up by Staying In?

If you don’t opt out, the final approval order will bind you. The case is dismissed with prejudice as to the released claims, and you release Fordham from the claims covered by the settlement, generally the claims brought in the case and claims that could have been brought. The exact scope is in Sections 1.26, 1.27, 1.28 and 3.7 of the Settlement Agreement, and I couldn’t retrieve the full agreement text, so read those sections yourself on the court documents page. Anyone with a pending lawsuit or a separate claim about the same Spring 2020 tuition and fees should talk to their own lawyer right away.

A warning about opting out

Opting out preserves a separate lawsuit only in theory. New York’s limitations period for breach of contract is generally six years (CPLR 213(2)), and Spring 2020 is now more than six years back, so tolling and timing rules will matter a great deal for any individual suit. Talk to an attorney before the deadline if you’re considering it.

How the Case Got Here

July 11, 2023. Cooper Conley filed a class action against Fordham in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

September 18, 2023. Henry Wallace filed a separate federal suit over the same issues. The court consolidated the two cases in October 2023 under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 42.

May 12, 2025. Fordham moved to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(1), arguing the court should decline jurisdiction under the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA). Judge Margaret M. Garnett granted the motion and declined jurisdiction under CAFA’s interests-of-justice exception. The ruling did not decide whether Fordham breached a contract or owed refunds, it said so expressly, and it left the plaintiffs free to sue in another court. The case ended on a jurisdictional point, not because a judge found the refund allegations false.

Bronx County. The plaintiffs pursued the case in New York state court as Conley et al. v. Fordham University, Index No. 810808/2025E, before Justice Hershman.

September 30, 2026. The state court granted preliminary approval of the $2,549,490 settlement.

January 13, 2027. The judge will consider final approval and any timely objections.

Why a federal court could send it back to state court

CAFA, 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d), generally gives federal courts jurisdiction over class actions with more than $5 million in controversy, at least 100 class members and minimal diversity. But under § 1332(d)(3), a court may decline jurisdiction when more than one-third and fewer than two-thirds of the proposed class and the primary defendants are citizens of the filing state, after weighing factors such as the state’s connection to the dispute and the governing law. Judge Garnett relied on Fordham’s New York location, the New York-law claims and the number of New York citizens in the proposed class.

The Law Behind the Case

The case rests on state-law claims and class procedure, not on a federal COVID tuition-refund statute. None of the following is a finding against Fordham.

Breach of contract. The plaintiffs claim Fordham’s relationship with students carried contractual duties about in-person instruction, services and campus access. A contract claim generally requires an enforceable agreement, the plaintiff’s performance, a breach and damages. In COVID tuition cases the central fight has been whether catalogs, tuition arrangements and other communications created an enforceable promise of in-person instruction. The settlement doesn’t decide that.

Unjust enrichment. This equitable claim applies when one party gets a benefit at another’s expense and keeping it would be unjust. It isn’t the same as breach of contract, and the settlement resolves it without a ruling.

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 42 and 12(b)(1). Rule 42 allows consolidation of cases with common questions, which is how the Conley and Wallace suits were combined. Rule 12(b)(1) governs subject-matter jurisdiction, which is how the federal case ended.

CAFA. 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d) controls federal jurisdiction over large class actions. Defendants in federal class settlements must also notify officials under 28 U.S.C. § 1715, though this settlement is in state court.

CPLR Article 9. New York’s class action statute governs the state case. Under CPLR § 908, a class action can’t be dismissed, discontinued or compromised without court approval, and notice must go to class members as the court directs. That is why preliminary approval, notice and a final hearing are part of the process.

Is the Law on COVID Tuition Refunds Still Unsettled?

Yes, in part. In August 2026 the Second Circuit certified a question to the New York Court of Appeals in Becerra-Paez v. Syracuse University: whether a student suing for a tuition refund must allege a specific promise of exclusively in-person instruction, or whether an implied promise of generally in-person education and campus access can be enough. The Court of Appeals accepted the question on September 22, 2026, and as of November 5, 2026 hadn’t answered. That doesn’t decide the Fordham case, but it helps explain why these suits carried litigation risk.

Was There an Earlier Fordham COVID Lawsuit?

Yes, and it’s a different case. In 2020, Kareem Hassan filed Hassan v. Fordham University, a proposed class action for tuition and fee refunds after Fordham went online, asserting breach of contract, unjust enrichment, conversion and money had and received. On January 28, 2021, the Southern District of New York granted Fordham’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint for failure to state a claim, while allowing the plaintiff to seek leave to amend. Hassan had a different plaintiff, docket and record from the current settlement. The later Conley and Wallace federal case was also dismissed, but on jurisdiction, not the merits. Don’t treat the two dismissals as the same thing.

When Will Payments Be Sent?

There’s no confirmed date. Payments come only after the court grants final approval, and the January 13, 2027 hearing isn’t a payment date. After the judge rules, the administrator still has to finish the distribution. Be skeptical of any site or social post promising a specific check date or amount. For background, see How Long Does A Class Action Settlement Take To Pay Out?

Do Settlement Payments Count as Taxable Income?

Possibly. Whether a payment is taxable depends on how it’s characterized and on your own situation. This article isn’t tax advice, so ask a qualified tax professional.

Contacting the Administrator

Apex Class Action, LLC: 1-800-355-0700, [email protected], Conley et al. v. Fordham University, c/o Apex Class Action, LLC, P.O. Box 54668, Irvine, CA 92619. Use these for questions about your notice, eligibility records, payment estimate, missing login credentials or mailing address. Helpful official pages: settlement website, FAQs, payment election and court documents.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Fordham University COVID Settlement

Is the Fordham $2.5 million settlement approved?

It has preliminary approval, not final approval. The final approval hearing is January 13, 2027, at 2:15 p.m. in Bronx County.

Do I have to submit a claim form for the Fordham settlement?

No. Eligible class members who stay in the settlement and do nothing are planned to receive a check by mail after final approval.

What is the Fordham settlement deadline?

December 14, 2026, for the optional PayPal or Venmo election, opt-out requests and objections. It isn’t a claim-filing deadline.

Can I get my Fordham settlement payment through PayPal or Venmo?

Yes. Submit the Election Form online, or by mail, email or fax, by December 14, 2026.

Will every Fordham student receive the same payment?

No. The net fund is split 65% for undergraduates and 35% for graduate students, and each student’s share is prorated by the net Spring 2020 tuition and mandatory fees they paid.

Do scholarships count toward what I paid Fordham?

No. Non-repayable Fordham aid, grants and other reductions, and unpaid balances, are excluded from the calculation.

Can former Fordham students who live outside New York participate?

The class definition doesn’t require New York residence. Eligibility turns on Spring 2020 enrollment and payment, and moved students should update their address with Apex.

What if my parents paid my Fordham tuition?

You can still qualify. The class definition covers payments made on a student’s behalf.

What happens if I miss the December 14 Fordham deadline?

You may lose the chance to pick PayPal or Venmo, and the default is a check to your last known address. Missing the opt-out or objection deadline means losing those rights. Contact Apex if you’re unsure.

Does opting out of the Fordham settlement mean I’ll recover more?

No. You’d get no settlement payment, and an individual lawsuit isn’t guaranteed to succeed or recover anything.

Do I have to attend the Fordham final approval hearing?

No. A timely written objection will be considered without your attendance, but to speak you must follow the notice’s appearance requirements.

Has Fordham admitted wrongdoing?

No. Fordham denies liability, and the court hasn’t found that it breached a contract or was unjustly enriched.

Is the Fordham settlement the same as the earlier Hassan lawsuit?

No. Hassan v. Fordham University is a separate 2020 case that was dismissed in 2021. The current settlement is Conley et al. v. Fordham University.

What Fordham Students Should Do Now

Find your settlement notice and check your estimated payment and the net tuition figure on it. If a mailed check works for you, you don’t have to do anything. If you want PayPal or Venmo, submit the Election Form by December 14, 2026. If you’re thinking about opting out or objecting, read the notice carefully first, because those choices have different consequences. The settlement isn’t final, and no payment date has been announced.

Related coverage: Le Moyne College $243,206 COVID-19 Fee Settlement and Class Action Settlements You Can Claim in November 2026.

Sources and Court Records

1. Official Fordham settlement website
2. Settlement Notice and Election Form
3. Settlement Agreement and Release
4. Official FAQs
5. Payment election page
6. Court documents page
7. Conley v. Fordham University, federal opinion, May 12, 2025
8. Hassan v. Fordham University, opinion, January 28, 2021
9. 28 U.S.C. § 1332
10. New York CPLR § 908
11. Becerra-Paez v. Syracuse University, Second Circuit, August 11, 2026
12. New York Court of Appeals decision list, September 22, 2026
13. N.Y. CPLR Article 9 and CPLR 213(2); Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) and 42; 28 U.S.C. § 1715

About the author: Researched and written by Israr Ahmad using the official settlement notice, administrator materials and court records.

Disclaimer: AllAboutLawyer.com is an independent legal information website. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal representation or advice and nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. The settlement notice and court orders control over this summary. Fordham denies liability, the settlement is subject to final court approval and individual payments depend on the approved terms and Fordham’s records. Statutes, rulings and deadlines can change, so contact the Settlement Administrator or a licensed attorney about your own rights.