San Jose, CA asked in Consumer Law, Contracts, Business Law and Education Law for California

Q: How should I request a university program in California to return my admit deposit since they have deferred starting?

I was selected in a program that has now deferred their start date due to CoVID. They requested a sizable deposit to secure my position in the program for their initial start date. The program no longer fits my timeline and they have refused to refund the deposit. What can I do in this situation?

2 Lawyer Answers
Scott Richard Kaufman
Scott Richard Kaufman
Answered
  • Consumer Law Lawyer
  • Los Altos, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: You have your contract and ALL writings between you evaluated by an attorney to see what, if anything, can be done. Good luck with it!

John Francis Nicholson
John Francis Nicholson
Answered
  • Woodland Hills, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: I agree with Mr. Kaufman that you may need an attorney to sort this out. However, your question does not indicate whether you have contacted the university directly to find out what there policy is, and what writing is it based on. Some schools have a refund policy based upon a timeline that allows for complete refund/partial refund if requested months before the school year begins, and if you pass that deadline there could be no refund. However, as referenced by Mr. Kaufman, the written contract is most important if a refund policy is stated - that is your guide. Unfortunately, recently it has been in the news that some schools are not returning any deposits. Good luck.

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