Refunds? What does the University do with the money?

Recent articles concerning class action lawsuits against two large universities in Colorado has made me wonder what universities do with the extra fees students are charged. As an older student returning to finish my degree work, I recall a story from my past at Virginia Tech. In the later half of the 1980s, I did not receive my grades at the end of the quarter, yes we were using the quarter system and not semesters. Upon investigating the matter, I was informed my grades were being held due to non-payment of my comprehensive fees or student activities fees. I was feeling pretty confident when I stated I was not going to pay them. I don’t ride the bus, the student center is under renovation and not open, I don’t use the weight room or participate in intramural sports, the sports team were not good so I didn’t attend games, so I was not paying the fee. The person working the payment window informed me my grades and classes would be purged for non-payment and I would just lose my tuition money, plus I would have a block placed on my account preventing me from registering for future classes. So, having no option, I payed the fee and left feeling defeated. Fast forward 30+ years and here I am dealing with comprehensive fees but at a 300% increase from the 1980s.

With all universities shut down and classes being taught online, the student body cannot use the services for which they have paid or are still paying. So why won’t the universities offer a prorated refund for these services? Where did the money go? As a graduate student at Virginia Tech, I paid over $500 for a parking pass and over $2000 dollars for services that I cannot use. So again, where did the money go? There are no rec sports being held so no staff is getting paid, the student rec building is closed, the library is closed, parking is free and not restrictions are being observed, and I still don’t ride the bus, so where is the money? I don’t have an answer to my own questions but wish to highlight the situation at Virginia Tech and major universities across this country. If you or someone you know is attending a higher education institution, you are paying fees for services that they want you to think are free. Dining halls are revenue centers for the universities and they are shut down, but the students get to keep their dining dollars for next year. This is good unless you are a senior, then goodbye funds. If students paid for services like the dining halls, would the university be able to offer the services? I mean, if you had to pay a $.50 fee to enter the library and pay a fee to check out a source, or pay to ride the bus per trip, or pay to be part of a rec sports team, or buy a membership to the gym, could the university still operate these systems. If private entities can do it, why can’t the university?

The biggest question we should all be asking is this, where does the money go? It is obvious the universities are not offering refunds and we can speculate it is due to the money not being available. So where does the money go? If they paid all the salaries, operating costs, and land use fees up front, then they are idiots. The money was paid to the university so, where is the money?

WHERE IS MY MONEY?