Marshall University Announces Refunds For Unused Dorm Time

Marshall University students who aren’t spending time in their dorms as a result of the coronavirus pandemic will receive refunds, the school announced.

Refunds are expected to be made by April 29. Students will be notified if the date changes.

Students with housing contracts but who didn’t stay on campus during the online classes period will receive 37.5 percent of their spring semester housing charges, The Herald-Dispatch reported Sunday.

Similar refunds will be made for parking passes, recreation center fees and unused meal plans.

With classes still being taught but in a different way, tuition will not be prorated.

“Even after these adjustments to your accounts, I know many of you may still have unmet needs,” university President Jerome Gilbert said. “The Marshall University Foundation has a Student Emergency Fund to which many of our loyal alumni and supporters have generously contributed.”

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported Sunday that 611 people had tested positive for the virus, and eight people had died. There have been 16,257 residents tested for the virus, and 15,646 were negative.

The latest deaths included an 82-year old woman from Wayne County with underlying health conditions, a 25-year-old man from Logan County and an 80-year-old woman from Monongalia County.

Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough but also milder cases of pneumonia, sometimes requiring hospitalization. The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems.