The University of Pennsylvania is joining peer campuses across the country in issuing pro-rated refunds to students who paid for room and board plans during the spring semester. With campus closures affecting Penn in the same way institutions all over the country have been, the university has laid out a student refund plan.
As reported by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn has outlined a concrete plan to issue pro-rated housing and dining refunds to students living in on-campus housing or who paid for a campus meal plan. The news was circulated to the Penn community via email from Penn Residential Services.
Any Penn students on dining plans will be refunded for their remaining spring semester meal plan balance. On-campus residents departing the university or graduating will receive pro-rated reimbursements in May to their student billing accounts.
The refunded dining credit value will be based on the student’s total number of remaining meal swipes, calculated at the cost-per-swipe of their specific dining plan. Any unused Dining Dollars will also be refunded at a dollar-for-dollar ratio.
University officials determined that the value of the refunded room and board funds would cover the time between March 17 to May 13, the last day of student housing contracts.
The email also reveals that the housing and dining refunds will be reflected in students’ May billing statements. The credited amount will first be applied to any outstanding balances on student accounts, with the remaining funds being be reimbursed to students’ via their preferred payment method through Penn’s online billing system.
