Emily Riley
The University of Maryland announced Thursday that student fees such as parking, student facilities and room and board among others will be refunded on a prorated basis.
Students will be contacted directly about their specific refunds, according to the university’s statement.
Refunds due to the impact of COVID-19 on the semester have been a concern for many students and families, especially since the postponement of on-campus residence hall move-outs as of last Wednesday.
On-campus residents originally scheduled a move-out slot between March 27 and April 5. Due to the escalating state of COVID-19 in Maryland and the state’s push to limit large gatherings, the university chose to postpone move-out in an effort to decrease the amount of people gathering on campus.
But for some students, it isn’t as easy as just returning to their hometown.
“I rely on campus for housing,” said sophomore neurobiology and physiology major Mehnaz Islam, who was living in Charles Hall. “I was planning on getting all of my things and then finding a real place to stay for the next five months. Without having most of my things, I can’t find another place to stay.”
Islam made a request for extended stay in her residence hall. It was denied on the basis that she is not an out-of-state or international student.
Although the update assured students and parents that their belongings would be secure in their halls, that wasn’t most students’ concern. Many didn’t pack adequately for the coming months.
“I took home the things that I need, however I was assuming that it wouldn’t be for this long,” said Islam. Back in Charles Hall, Islam had “additional medication, my books, and just other things that I need right now.”
Islam, like other students, only packed for the proposed four-week leave students were advised about before departing. Now, they’re off for the semester.
The update did note that students who left necessities such as life-sustaining medications or a passport in their hall could receive special permission to retrieve such items.
Even students who live in South Campus Commons, which is a public-private partnership between the university and Capstone On-Campus, were nearly forced to move out.
Fiona Franke, a sophomore double major in neurobiology and physiology, was surprised when the university contacted her and her roommates that they too would have to move out of their South Campus Commons apartment, even though they already signed their lease for the 2020-2021 school year.
“When I left UMD that Friday afternoon they notified us we were online, I took a bunch of my stuff home since I thought it would be a month until I came back. My roommates did the same thing,” said Franke. “Then they emailed us a week later saying we needed to move out completely and make an appointment by April 5. They said we had to take everything.”
For now, with the cancellation of move-out appointments, Franke and her roommates won’t be required to completely move out of their already leased apartment.
While classes resumed online on Monday, a new set of move-out dates seems to be moving farther away as Governor Hogan issued a stay-at-home order on March 30, making non-essential gatherings in public a misdemeanor.
“They were better off allowing people to move out now rather than waiting because this isn’t going to end anytime soon,” said Islam.
The announcement also includes links to the Keep Teaching and Keep Connecting websites to encourage students to look into available teaching and other resources. The Student Financial Services and Cashiering and Bursar’s Offices will be contacting students on their specific refunds.