ORLANDO, Fla. – University of Central Florida students who were forced to move out of their dorms early after the school shut down classes to stop the spread of coronavirus will receive a partial refund for their rooms.
Wednesday was the last day students had to move out of their on-campus dorms after they were told that they wouldn’t be permitted to return to campus after spring break. Classes will be taught online-only through the summer semesters.
Students who were living in residence halls up until this week will receive a refund that will cover housing fees from March 30 to April 28, which is when the spring semester was set to end.
A university spokesman said the decision to pay back $5.3 million in refunds to students was decided during a UCF Board of Trustees meeting Thursday morning.
Documentation from the teleconference doesn’t list how or when students will receive refunds but does state that the money will come from education and general carryforward funds. That portion of the university’s operating budget comes from student fees, lottery funds and general revenue, records show.
Thus far, one UCF student has tested positive for COVID-19 and others are in self-quarantine to monitor their health.
As a stay-at-home mandate is slated to begin in Orange County, it’s unclear when students will be allowed to return to dorms.
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