Students receive refunds and news of grading policy changes due to Covid-19

Andre Frenchie
MC301 Contributor

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the dynamic of daily life for everyone, including college students. Because of the threat to the health of students and employees, colleges and universities opted to offer courses online and urged thousands of students to go home along with providing work-from-home options to employees.

Because of this, the Institutions of Higher Learning approved refunds for some student expenditures. Students at Jackson State University received emails on April 10 informing them of the refunds. According to the email, the university would issue prorated refunds to students who paid for university-sponsored student housing, meal plans and parking fees. All refunds would be prorated from March 16 until May 10.

Students are not eligible for refunds that withdrew from university prior to the first day classes would have resumed if Spring Break had not been extended due to the pandemic. Also, if fees were paid with an institutional scholarship, the student would not be eligible for a refund. Because classes continued online using remote instructional methods, IHL universities opted not to refund any tuition or other fees.

Many students were relieved to hear about the reimbursements for housing.

Jabria Pearson, a senior political science major from Freeport, Ill. said, “I am grateful that JSU will be reimbursing students. I’m so grateful IHL has given the approval of reimbursing housing for students. Mid-semester, I had to take out additional loans to cover housing. This has been one of the most traumatic semesters of my life given that I am a senior. I am glad that some miracles are showing throughout this time.”

Markus Brooks, a senior criminal justice major from Bloomington, Ill., said he feels the decision to refund students was needed.

“I feel like it’s the right thing to do. There are students who are paying out of pocket for school and they definitely deserve their refunds. It wouldn’t be fair that students don’t get a refund back because they were not able to live in their residence halls and not eat in the cafeteria for the remainder of the semester.,” said Brooks.

Malik Shavers, a sophomore electrical engineering major from Flowood, Miss., said he feels positive about the situation for the students but believes the decision may hurt the university.

“For the students, it is a positive move because as a student, college is already expensive so that gives some students who can’t financially go to college a chance. Although for the university, I feel like it may be a negative because the money refunded could also or possibly be used for the campus along with certain events,” said Shavers.

In addition to the reimbursement announcement, the University also released an announcement explaining an undergraduate alternative grading policy for the Spring 2020 semester.

Students were give the option to retain the letter grades issued by their professor or select an alternative grade which would have no impact on the students grade point average (GPA).

The Covid-19 Grading Policy states in part:

The alternative grades are P- Pass and NC-No Credit. Undergraduate students may choose to retain all traditional letter grades or choose to change to the alternative grade for one or more classes while still retaining traditional letter grades in other courses.

Undergraduate students will have access in PAWS to view grades and make their choices between May 6, 2020 and May 15, 2020. Undergraduate students who do not select optional grades will receive the letter grade assigned by the instructor. Graduate students were also given an alternative grading policy.

Xavier Davis, a sophomore therapeutic recreation major from Milwaukee, Wis., said along with the refunds, the grading policy changes are also beneficial to students.

“It’s the best decision to refund the students their money because we are not physically on campus. The grading situation is good because it gives students the best choice if they are failing to retake a class without it affecting their GPA,” said Davis.

To read both the undergraduate and graduate policies, visit: https://10.14.12.245/covid19/