Several pandemic settlements and lawsuits are still active in 2025 and 2026, and a few of them have real money or hard deadlines attached for ordinary people. College tuition refund class actions are paying out now at more than a dozen universities. A U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruling has opened a refund window for taxpayers hit with pandemic-era IRS penalties, with a July 10, 2026 claim deadline. California’s $2 billion K-12 learning loss settlement is directing money to specific student groups through 2027-28. And a landlord takings case over the CDC eviction moratorium is headed toward the Supreme Court while the filing window for similar claims begins to close in September 2026.
College Tuition Refund Class Actions Paying Out Now
Over 70 U.S. colleges have faced class action suits from students who paid for in-person education in Spring 2020 and were shifted to remote learning.1Expert Institute. Universities Sued for COVID-19 Refunds Following Campus Closures The claims are usually breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Universities deny wrongdoing and treat the deals as pragmatic resolutions.
If you were enrolled in Spring 2020 at any of the schools below, you may be a class member. Check the settlement site for each case; most rely on already-known student records rather than individual claim forms, but deadlines and payment methods differ.
- Penn State — $17 million. Ramey et al. v. The Pennsylvania State University covers students enrolled in at least one in-person Spring 2020 class across all Penn State campuses. Final approval came in February 2025 and payments were issued in June 2025. Students who withdrew for medical reasons received $50; the remaining net fund was divided equally among the rest of the class.2Penn State Tuition Refund Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
- University of Southern California — $10 million. Preliminary approval in October 2025; final approval hearing on March 27, 2026.3ClassAction.org. $10M University of Southern California Settlement4Angeion Group. USC Remote Learning Lawsuit Long Form Notice
- University of Pittsburgh — $7.85 million. Preliminary approval in April 2025. Payments are pro-rated by tuition and fees paid, with a $50 minimum per student.5The Pitt News. Pitt Agrees to Pay $7.85M
- University of Pennsylvania — $4.5 million. Final approval January 2023 for students assessed fees for Spring 2020. Participation was automatic, with payments credited to continuing students’ accounts or mailed to former students.6Penn Today. Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement
- Carnegie Mellon — $4.8 million, reported as of February 2025.7ClassAction.org. COVID Class Action News
- Northwestern — $4 million. In Quiroz v. Northwestern University, eligible full-time students from Spring, Summer, and Fall 2020 quarters stand to receive roughly $153, $61, and $35 respectively, depending on which terms they were enrolled. Final approval hearing set for August 7, 2026.8Northwestern Tuition Refund Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
- University of Washington — $4 million. Barry v. University of Washington covers about 56,000 students enrolled during Winter and Spring 2020. Final approval October 2025; payments issued January 30, 2026.9University of Washington COVID Litigation. Settlement Home Page
- University of Rochester — $3.5 million, settled as of August 2025.7ClassAction.org. COVID Class Action News
- Drexel — $2.2 million. Preliminary approval March 19, 2026, for a class of roughly 16,576 students. Final approval hearing August 5, 2026.10Courthouse News Service. $2.2M Settlement Approved Between Drexel University and COVID-Era Students
- Bucknell — $1.15 million. Approved June 9, 2025. The 3,291 students who opted in received about $240 each.11WKOK. Judge Approves Bucknell COVID Class Action Settlement
Courts have split on what students need to prove. Most require plaintiffs to identify “specific promises” of in-person instruction in formal university documents. The Second Circuit went further in a 2023 ruling in Rynasko v. New York University, holding that more general marketing and informational statements could suffice.7ClassAction.org. COVID Class Action News That split is why some suits are settling while others remain in litigation.
Pandemic Tax Penalty Refund Claims — July 10, 2026 Deadline
A November 2025 ruling by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Kwong v. United States could entitle millions of taxpayers to refunds of pandemic-era penalties and interest. The court held that under IRC § 7508A(d), returns and payments due during the COVID-19 federal disaster period (January 20, 2020 through May 11, 2023, plus 60 days) were not late until after July 10, 2023. Taxpayers assessed penalties and interest during that window may be owed refunds if the ruling stands.12National Taxpayer Advocate. Tens of Millions of Taxpayers May Be Eligible for Significant Tax Refunds
The National Taxpayer Advocate says the ruling could reach individuals, small businesses, large corporations, estates, and trusts across income, employment, estate, gift, and excise taxes.12National Taxpayer Advocate. Tens of Millions of Taxpayers May Be Eligible for Significant Tax Refunds
The government is fighting. The Department of Justice filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Circuit on May 15, 2026, and on May 20, 2026, the IRS issued an Action on Decision confirming it disagrees with the broad interpretation of the statute.13Venable LLP. Kwong Update: Refund Opportunities and the July 10 Deadline Relief is not automatic. To preserve your rights while the appeal is pending, the National Taxpayer Advocate advises filing a claim for refund or a protective claim using Form 843 by July 10, 2026.14National Taxpayer Advocate. Beyond Penalties and Interest: How Kwong May Affect Missed Tax Refunds
California K-12 Learning Loss Settlements
California’s $2 billion learning loss settlement doesn’t cut checks to families. It locks in existing state funding for the students who fell furthest behind during closures.
The deal resolved Cayla J. v. State of California, a class action filed in November 2020 in Alameda County Superior Court by students from Oakland Unified and Los Angeles Unified.15California Policy Center. Legal Update on Cayla J. v. State of California At least $2 billion of the state’s $7.5 billion Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant is protected from budget cuts and targeted at the lowest-performing student groups and chronically absent students, with a focus on low-income students, foster children, English learners, and Black and Hispanic students.16EdSource. California Agrees to Target Most-Struggling Students to Settle Learning Loss Lawsuit Students are identified by scale scores in math and English language arts and by absenteeism rates.17Public Counsel. Historic Settlement Promises New Resources for Children Left Behind During Pandemic
Districts must build plans, use evidence-based strategies such as frequent in-school tutoring, and track outcomes over three years. Funds can be spent through the 2027-28 school year.16EdSource. California Agrees to Target Most-Struggling Students to Settle Learning Loss Lawsuit A simpler public complaint procedure replaces the older system for challenging how schools spend the money.18CalMatters. Learning Loss
A separate Los Angeles case, Shaw et al. v. LAUSD, received final approval on February 18, 2026. Parents in low-income communities alleged that LAUSD’s distance learning policies during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years violated state law.19Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. Shaw et al. v. LAUSD20LAUSD Learning Settlement. Settlement Home Page LAUSD must also publicly report tutoring participation and assessment data by school, region, race and ethnicity, and student group.21EdSource. Shaw et al. v. LAUSD Settlement Agreement
CDC Eviction Moratorium: Landlord Compensation Claims
Landlords who lost rental income during the CDC’s federal eviction moratorium (September 2020 through August 2021) may eventually be able to recover it. In Darby Development Company, Inc. v. United States, 39 landlord-plaintiffs argue that the moratorium was a taking of private property without just compensation under the Fifth Amendment.22Class Action U. Eviction Moratorium
The Court of Federal Claims dismissed the case in May 2022. A three-judge panel of the Federal Circuit reversed on August 7, 2024, holding that the CDC moratorium was “authorized” for takings purposes and that the plaintiffs had adequately alleged a physical taking. The full Federal Circuit declined to rehear en banc on June 6, 2025.22Class Action U. Eviction Moratorium23Jenner & Block. Federal Circuit Denies Rehearing in Takings Case on Eviction Moratorium
The Solicitor General’s petition-for-certiorari deadline was extended to at least November 3, 2025.24Supreme Court of the United States. United States v. Darby Development Company Extension Application If the Supreme Court takes the case, oral argument would likely come late in the 2025-26 term or early in 2026-27.25Jenner & Block. Federal Circuit Denies Rehearing The panel decision has already opened the door for other landlords to file. A six-year statute of limitations for claims against the federal government means the window for new filings begins to close as of September 2026.22Class Action U. Eviction Moratorium
Nursing Home COVID Deaths: Where the Cases Stand
Wrongful death claims against nursing homes generally proceed in state court. In 2021 the Third Circuit held in Estate of Joseph Maglioli v. Alliance HC Holdings LLC that these negligence and wrongful death claims belong in state court, rejecting the argument that the federal PREP Act shields facilities or supplies a federal cause of action.26Center for Medicare Advocacy. State Courts Will Decide SNF COVID Suits Proving that a specific facility caused a specific COVID infection remains difficult.
New York is considering a legislative alternative. Assembly Bill A896, the “Justice for Nursing Home Victims Act,” would create a Nursing Home Resident COVID-19 Compensation Program with a proposed $4 billion fund. Eligible estates would receive a $250,000 death benefit, with an additional $100,000 for the spouse and each dependent. The bill creates a presumption of negligence if a facility failed to comply with state, federal, or CDC infection control guidelines during the emergency and would allow civil claims within two years of the effective date. As of June 2026, the bill sits in the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, having been referred there on January 7, 2026. It is the third iteration, following bills in the 2021-22 and 2023-24 sessions that did not advance.27New York State Senate. Assembly Bill A896
Paths That Have Mostly Closed
Some pandemic legal theories that once looked promising have not produced payouts, and knowing the boundary matters if you’re considering a claim.
Business interruption insurance claims have largely failed. Most courts, including at least four federal appellate circuits, have held that government-ordered closures do not meet the “physical loss or damage” standard in commercial policies. Many states have also enacted liability protections for businesses, schools, and healthcare providers that followed public health guidance, raising the standard from ordinary negligence to gross negligence or intentional misconduct.28Judicial Hellholes. The COVID-19 Litigation Surge Response At the federal level, the Supreme Court stayed OSHA’s vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers in January 2022, finding that OSHA likely lacked authority to impose what the Court characterized as a general public health measure rather than a workplace safety standard.29Supreme Court of the United States. National Federation of Independent Business v. Department of Labor
If you think you may qualify under any of the active tracks above, the two dates to keep in front of you are July 10, 2026 for a protective Form 843 tax refund claim and September 2026 for new federal landlord takings filings tied to the CDC moratorium. For tuition refunds, check the settlement website for your specific school, because notice, opt-in, and payment rules vary case by case.