Published
September 27, 2026
Le Moyne College undergraduates who were charged tuition or mandatory fees and enrolled in at least one in-person class in spring 2020 will be paid automatically from the $243,206 Le Moyne College COVID fee class action settlement; there is no claim form to file. The deadline to choose electronic payment, opt out or object is October 19, 2026.
Current Status
The Le Moyne College settlement has preliminary court approval and pays eligible class members automatically, so there is no claim to file. October 19, 2026 is the deadline to submit the optional Election Form choosing an electronic payment, to opt out, or to object. The court-approved notice sets the final approval hearing for December 17, 2026, although the settlement website still lists the hearing as "to be scheduled." Final approval has not been granted, and no payment date had been announced as of September 27, 2026.Free settlement alerts
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Status
Pending Final Approval
Election / Opt-Out Deadline
October 19, 2026
Estimated Payout
Up to About $57
OCA estimate · equal shares of the net fund
Proof Required
Automatic Payment
No claim form · a check is mailed unless you elect e-payment
What Changed Recently?
Justice Joseph E. Lamendola of the New York State Supreme Court in Onondaga County granted preliminary approval in August 2026. The settlement website gives the date as August 20; the signed order was filed on the court's electronic docket on August 21 (NYSCEF Doc. No. 76). The order provisionally certified a settlement class under New York's class action statute, CPLR Article 9, and appointed class counsel from Leeds Brown Law and Lynch Carpenter. Notices and Election Forms went out to class members by mail and email dated September 18, 2026.The case, Germakovski v. Le Moyne College, was filed on September 5, 2024. It alleged that Le Moyne breached its contract with students when it moved instruction and campus services online in March 2020 and did not refund tuition or fees. In June 2025 the court dismissed the tuition refund claim and the unjust enrichment claim, leaving breach-of-contract claims over the mandatory comprehensive fee and the academic and incidental fees. According to the complaint, those fees included a $500 comprehensive fee covering health, technology and activities, plus lab-related charges. The parties reached an agreement in principle on April 20, 2026. Le Moyne denies the allegations and any wrongdoing or liability, and the settlement is not an admission of liability.
Who Qualifies?
According to the court-approved notice, the class covers all Le Moyne College undergraduate students who were charged tuition and/or mandatory fees and were enrolled in at least one in-person, on-campus class during the spring 2020 semester.The settlement agreement excludes three groups from payment: students enrolled only in online classes at the start of the spring 2020 semester, students who paid no tuition or fees, and students who left Le Moyne before March 1, 2020. A mailed or emailed notice means Le Moyne's records place you in the class. Graduate students are not part of the class as defined.
How Much Can You Get?
Le Moyne agreed to pay $243,206 into a cash settlement fund. Before anything reaches students, the fund also pays for these items, each subject to court approval:- Attorneys' fees of up to $81,068.66, one-third of the fund
- Litigation costs of up to $20,000
- A service award of up to $2,500 for the named plaintiff
- Settlement administration costs of up to $24,990
Checks are void 180 days after their issue date. Money left over after that goes back to Le Moyne for a general scholarship fund and/or an emergency relief fund for students.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
None to be paid. Payment is automatic for eligible class members who stay in the settlement. The Notice ID and PIN printed on the notice are needed only to use the online Election Form, which chooses the payment method. They do not decide whether you are paid.What Is the Deadline?
October 19, 2026 is the deadline for all three optional actions:- Submitting the Election Form, online or by mail
- Opting out, with a signed written statement postmarked or submitted online by that date
- Objecting, with a written objection postmarked by that date
How Do You Take Action?
To be paid by paper check, do nothing. To be paid by Venmo, PayPal or another available electronic method, open the online Election Form on the official settlement website and enter the Notice ID and PIN from your notice. Opting out requires a signed statement with your name, address, telephone number and a clear statement that you want to be excluded. Anyone who opts out gets no payment and cannot object. Instructions for opting out and objecting are in the notice and on the official settlement website.What Happens Next?
The court-approved notice schedules the final approval hearing for December 17, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in the Onondaga County courthouse in Syracuse. The settlement website says the hearing is still "to be scheduled" and will be posted once the court sets it, so check the official site before relying on the date. If the court grants final approval, payments go out after the final effective date, which comes only once any appeals are resolved. The settlement site gives two different windows for when payments go out after that date: 30 days on one page and 40 on another. The court has not decided whether to approve the settlement.Sources and Verification
- Official settlement website, run by the settlement administrator, Apex Class Action, including its court documents page with the settlement agreement
- Notice of Class Action Settlement dated September 18, 2026 (embedded below)
- Order granting preliminary approval, Germakovski v. Le Moyne College, Index No. 009143/2024, NYSCEF Doc. No. 76, filed August 21, 2026, via the New York State Courts Electronic Filing system
- Government Technology, republishing syracuse.com reporting on the settlement filing, July 20, 2026
Questions
Do I have to file a claim to get paid from the Le Moyne College settlement?
No. Eligible class members who do not opt out are paid automatically after final approval. The Election Form only chooses how you are paid; without one, a paper check is mailed to the address Le Moyne has on file.
Does the settlement refund tuition?
No. The court dismissed the tuition refund claim and the unjust enrichment claim in June 2025. What was settled are the breach-of-contract claims over the mandatory comprehensive fee and the academic and incidental fees charged for spring 2020, although the class is defined by who was charged tuition and/or those fees.
I graduated or moved since 2020. How do I make sure I get paid?
Checks go to the address in Le Moyne's records unless you choose an electronic payment. Submitting the online Election Form on the official settlement website by October 19, 2026, using the Notice ID and PIN from your notice, lets you pick Venmo, PayPal or another available method instead of a mailed check.
Who is not eligible for a payment?
Under the settlement agreement, students who were enrolled only in online classes at the start of the spring 2020 semester, students who paid no tuition or fees, and students who left Le Moyne before March 1, 2020 do not receive a payment. Anyone who opts out also receives nothing.
Is Le Moyne College admitting it did something wrong?
No. Le Moyne denies the allegations and any wrongdoing or liability. The court has not decided who is right; the settlement is a compromise of disputed claims.
Official Settlement Notice
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Settlement Amount
$243,206
Case Title
Germakovski v. Le Moyne College
Case Number
Index No. 009143/2024
Court
New York State Supreme Court, Onondaga County
Final Approval Hearing
December 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Per the court-approved notice; the settlement website lists it as to be scheduled
Administrator
Apex Class Action
Official Website
Le Moyne College Settlement
