Coronavirus Communications

Wilkes University will adjust student accounts for parking, housing and meals plans. 

Parking fees will be credited to student accounts dated from March 15 through the remainder of the semester.

Housing charges will be adjusted based on the number of housing days between March 15 and the last day of contracted housing.

Residential meal plans include a fixed portion of dining and flex dollars in addition to unlimited meal swipes. Students will receive a prorated adjustment on the net cost of the meal plan based upon the number of remaining days that dining services would have been provided, as well as any unused dining or flex dollars.

Dining and flex dollars that are not part of a residential meal plan will also be credited or refunded.

Commuter meal plans will be credited based on the number of meal swipes remaining, as well as dining and flex dollar balances, as of April 17. If a student’s meal plan is used after this date, that student will not receive any credits to their meal plan.

Generally speaking, these adjustments represent roughly 50% of their overall cost. Please note that adjustments may be impacted by any Wilkes grants students receive related to meal and housing costs while attending the University. Contact us for details at financialaid@wilkes.edu.

Like most colleges and universities throughout the country, Wilkes University was forced to suspend classroom instruction in March and move to other modalities of instruction (including live streaming and video lectures) on short notice in response to the World Health Organization pandemic declaration and, ultimately, the business closure order issued by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Wilkes is proud of the effort made by its faculty to make necessary modifications in course plans and delivery methods, and is grateful to students for working with faculty to make that transition manageable and effective. Because the delivery of instruction continues, albeit in a delivery mode not anticipated at the beginning of the spring semester by faculty or students, Wilkes has done its very best under unusual and unexpected circumstances to ensure that its students receive the education promised to them at the beginning of the semester. For that reason, the policy of the University is that no tuition or fee refunds will be made.

Graduation fees are also nonrefundable. Wilkes has a long history of asking its graduating students to contribute to the cost of the commencement ceremony with the hope that they will participate and their families will be in attendance.  But because participation is not required, the tradition is that every graduating senior contributes to the cost of the celebration.  Regrettably, the pandemic will prevent the University from holding its annual May commencement exercises as planned.  The University announced recently that Spring Commencement has been rescheduled to Saturday, September 12, 2020.  Students and their families are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Summer tuition is already offered at the reduced rate of $530 per credit. This is not as a result of whether classes are offered online or face to face.

Wilkes will not be reimbursing students for other expenses incurred due to the pandemic. Students who do not have access to required equipment, supplies or software are encouraged to work with faculty members on alternative arrangements. If you have computer or internet limitations, please contact Jon Ference, associate provost for student success, at jonathan.ference@wilkes.edu so we can help you attain proper technology.

Adjustments to student accounts will first be applied to any outstanding balances owed to Wilkes, including charges for summer 2020 tuition. If the adjustment ultimately results in a credit balance to a student account, returning students may apply those credits to the fall 2020 semester, or they may elect to receive a refund.

Current residential students who are left with a credit balance in their accounts following adjustments made (as described above) may elect to have that credit balance applied to charges for the upcoming fall semester. Students who choose this option are not required to take any action; the University will apply the credit balance automatically. In addition, students who choose this option will receive an additional $250 on their University swipe card for the fall 2020 semester: $100 in dining dollars and $150 in flex dollars. This option is available for residential students only.

Residential students wishing to use this option do not need to take any action and will be automatically enrolled. This option is available for residential students only.

Graduating students will automatically receive a refund and do not need to take any action at this time.

If continuing students wish to receive a refund, they must opt-in by April 27 by logging into the Wilkes portal and selecting the “COVID-19 Room and Board Adjustment” link on the Student Services page.  As noted above, students who select the refund option will not receive additional dining and flex dollars.

The exact amount of refunds or credits will not be available until April 23.On April 23, students can view the value of monetary adjustments by selecting “account activity” on the student services page of the Wilkes portal.

Students who continued to reside in campus housing due to extenuating circumstances will not receive credits for housing and dining plans.

The University Monetary Adjustment Policy only affects students who were living in on-campus housing during the Spring semester 2020.  Students living in off-campus housing are encouraged to speak with landlords about possible adjustments to housing agreements.

Please send an email to billing@wilkes.edu. Our financial team is happy to help students navigate their options.