With the various university closures throughout Maryland due to COVID-19 comes the cancellation of a number of prepaid services the university provides ranging from room and board to parking to meal plans and athletics.
In regard to these prepaid funds, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents made the unanimous decision to allot partial refunds to students who have made these payments in advance for the remainder of the semester.
According to an article in The Baltimore Sun, USM Chancellor Jay Perman explained that in refunding students, the USM hopes to be contributing to the support and aid of students and families in a time of chaos and economic stress.
Salisbury University President Dr. Charles Wight explained that specific decisions regarding refunds will be confirmed in a meeting this afternoon with Perman and the other 11 presidents of the universities throughout the state.
Wight emphasized that a major element being considered in making these decisions is fairness, not only among the students at SU, but at universities statewide.
“Salisbury University is working with the other institutions in the University System of Maryland to work out an equitable system of refunds that is fair for all students,” Wight said.
For SU specifically, refunds will include partial dues revolving around athletics, intramural sports, student recreation, student activities, sustainability and student union operation fees, according to SU's Stay Informed page.
Along with these payments, students with meal plans and residential housing will also be receiving money back on money put toward the remainder of the academic year.
SU has contracted with BankMobile to process electronic refunds, but if students do not respond to the email they should receive their refunds via a mailed check approximately 21 days after SU issues it.
In an email sent out by the President's Office, the university highlighted it is their goal to have all credits on the student account and all refunds issued within seven to ten business days beginning on March 27.
Members of the SU community have expressed gratitude to the university in response to these refunds; however, there are still a number of concerns students have as a result of university closings.
Wight expressed that with an influx of calls and messages to the university during these troubling times, SU is doing all that they can to make the best of the situation and provide the best college experience that they can despite the circumstances.
According to Wight, the staff and faculty have been very flexible in adapting to the sudden changes throughout SU.
“We have been very busy,” Wight said. “But we have a lot of people working very hard to make sure that students have a good experience for the rest of the semester, even though we had to move everything online.”
For more information on all that SU is doing during the COVOID-19 pandemic see salisbury.edu/coronavirus
By CAROLINE STREETT
Gull Life editor
Featured photo by Alexis Cuzzo Images.
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