COLUMBUS, Ohio (WKBN) – The Ohio Supreme Court will decide a case next week that could have a far-reaching impact on college students across Ohio.

The high court will decide if Ohio State University is immune from being sued because it charged full tuition to students during COVID-19 restrictions when it went to online-only classes.

A class action lawsuit was filed by student Brooke Smith in the name of all OSU students for the 2020 semester saying that OSU breached its contract and was “unjustly enriched” by charging full tuition and fees without providing in-person instruction and full campus facilities, according to the complaint.

Other universities in Ohio are being sued, generally, for the same thing including Bowling Green State University, University of Cincinnati, Miami University, University of Akron, Ohio University, Kent State University, Wright State University and University of Toledo.

During oral arguments next week, the Supreme Court will consider OSU’s claims that “discretionary function immunity” bars lawsuits against it and the other universities for the results of their “essential decision-making actions.”

Other universities around the country are facing similar lawsuits. For instance, the University of Colorado Boulder just settled a $5 million class action lawsuit on behalf of its 2020 enrolled students. The settlement will become final if no appeals are filed during the appeals period ending September 6. The amount is expected to be under $100 for most students. Payments are expected to go out in October 2023.

Many class action lawsuits against universities across the country have been dismissed, are still being litigated and others have been settled for varying amounts.