The University has received a number of student messages seeking a reduction in tuition for the Spring Quarter. This continues to be an extraordinarily difficult time for people across the University community and I know many students and families are facing increased financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The University remains committed to providing increased assistance and accommodations to help those with the greatest financial need.

As outlined in our April 7 and April 21 updates, the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the University has been unprecedented. Because our focus must be on continuing to fulfill the University’s core research and education mission, we are unable to reduce tuition for all students regardless of individual financial means.

However, many options are available for students and families with additional financial need, and hundreds of students have taken advantage of these options. We encourage all students with financial need to do so. For example:

The University maintains an emergency assistance program and has provided assistance to the majority of students who have applied.

For students or families whose ability to make payments has been affected by COVID-19, the University has provided a Financial Hardship Form to apply for a payment extension. Many students across the University have completed this form, and the vast majority of those requests have been granted.

The University has expanded its extensive and longstanding commitment to meet the full demonstrated financial need of undergraduate domestic students.

Some students have decided this is the right time to take a leave of absence, and the University has worked to facilitate this choice wherever possible.

We encourage all students to work directly with your school or division’s financial aid office or dean of students to help access the wide-ranging support the University has established to assist students during this challenging time.

We appreciate that a large majority of students who are able to make Spring Quarter payments on time have already done so. I urge any students and families who may have difficulty making their next payment to use the Financial Hardship Form. For those who have not made such a request, the University policy on timely payments, and implications for not making a timely payment, remain the same.

In this extremely difficult time, we remain committed to helping whenever possible members of our community who are in need.