Taylor Wilson
Florida Southern students received an email from Dr. Anne B. Kerr on Apr. 1, regarding the status of student accounts and housing.
In the email, Dr. Kerr explained that refunds would be handled on an individual student basis and that the refund checks should be available the following week.
“Students have responded in amazing ways, and continue to excel academically and display resiliency, humor, and patience,” Dr. Kerr said in her initial email. “Truly, FSC has the best student body in America!”
Kerr also included items that would need to be considered when it comes to refunds, including variable room and meal plan rates, different student departure dates, financial assistance plans, outstanding balance a student owes the College and implications of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Some students, especially those who have lost employment through the school since it closed campus, look forward to refund checks to be sent out. To sort this out, you can get in touch with attorneys helping with employer relations cases
Junior Alexis Gettemy is an FSC student worker who has been affected by the school’s shutdown and is waiting for her refund. Gettemy works as a Student Development Photographer for events that happen on campus.
“I personally haven’t been contacted by my boss about anything to do with COVID-19, nor about what is going to happen,” Gettemy said.
Her photography job isn’t the only work Gettemy lost. The part-time job that Gettemy holds when she wasn’t living on-campus was forced to close in light of the pandemic.
“I currently am not working and have no income,” Gettemy said. “I am waiting for and expecting the FSC refund because I am no longer getting what my tuition pays for. I cannot access my campus owned apartment, the wellness center, the pool, rent bikes, attend sports events, or be successfully taught in an engaged learning environment.”
Adilen Reyes, a sophomore biology major, has also been affected by the loss of on campus employment.
“My on campus job is as a Student Information Technology Assistant at Rinker Tech Center,” Reyes said in a text-based interview. “Basically since I’m not at school we’re not working at all and I don’t necessarily need the money but it was nice to have some extra money to save.”
Reyes said that she will be able to go back to her job in the fall.
She is also a member of Florida Southern’s ROTC program, which aids in paying for her tuition.
“I have my ROTC scholarship so we get no refunds,” Reyes said. “All the money goes back to ROTC, but now I have to worry about paying for my own food and not being able to use the school meal plan. I have a job back home but it’s in retail and at a restaurant and because the governor put out ‘essential businesses only’ both my jobs are closed.”
After a follow up with Reyes and Gettemy, both have received their refund checks from FSC.
