June 23, 2026 at 9:35 am

College Students Couldn’t Access Campus During COVID Despite Paying Full Tuition — Now They Want a Reduced Fee for Services They Couldn’t Use

by Jayne Elliott

closeup of woman picking up a chip out of a bowl of chips

Pexels

Imagine going to college during the covid pandemic. What would you do if you had already paid tuition, but the campus shut down most of the included services like the gym and the dining hall? Would you want a refund, or would you be happy to go to school online with limited on campus services at the normal rate?

In this story, one college student was in this situation, and a bunch of students were pretty upset about it. However, this student was able to get a small but very satisfying victory.

Let’s read all about it.

Won’t reduce my fees, I am not giving you free money

I am a college student, so because of the current situation, my school has said that no one is allowed on campus unless they have permission.

Which I am down for, all good with that.

Here is the issue though, the students have asked the school to reduce on some of the charges, like things such as the Student Union ( which they charge $400 to use per semester, it’s not like the food there is cheap either) and charges to use the gym and such.

The school wasn’t willing to reduce the charges.

They said to students that they cant reduce the charges since the school is still open and is not closed (but like you can’t come in).

They can do this because the country the school is in has restrictions place preventing people from coming in and staying there.

So as I was looking at the itemized tuition bill after I paid for the school. Is that they have a “Student involvement fee” what is essentially a donation to the school.

This is the best part.

And I see an opt-out button.

I pressed it so fast.

A few days later got a check in the mail for $2.

Went and got a bag of chips, the best bag of chips I ever had.

It may have only been $2, but any refund is still a refund.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a mom who is irate after she gave a group leader money for her daughter’s lunch, only to have him pocket the cash and ask all of the kids to pay their own way.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

It was a crazy time.

2026 05 08 at 2.23.40 PM College Students Couldnt Access Campus During COVID Despite Paying Full Tuition — Now They Want a Reduced Fee for Services They Couldnt Use

Here’s a suggestion to share the revenge tip with other students.

2026 05 08 at 2.23.48 PM College Students Couldnt Access Campus During COVID Despite Paying Full Tuition — Now They Want a Reduced Fee for Services They Couldnt Use

Even a small victory can be very satisfying.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a person who abandoned their own D&D campaign when their friends stopped paying attention.

Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

Follow Jayne's adventures and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.