As schools and colleges transitioned to virtual learning last spring and many made similar plans for this fall, tuition refunds have become a prominent topic of discussion. The general premise behind refunding tuition is that virtual learning is of less value than an in-person experience and, further, institutions save money when not operating with students on campus. The reality is that savings for schools like Westminster are nominal as most campus operations must continue even when buildings are not occupied and, of course, the most significant share of the budget—salaries and benefits—does not decrease at all. Further, preparing to open campus safely has been particularly expensive, easily consuming any potential savings and adding significantly to the expense side of our budget. Finally, tuition only covers 70 percent of our operating expenses, with contributions from philanthropy through the endowment and The Westminster Fund and revenue from auxiliary enterprises making up the rest. 

For all of these reasons, parents should not anticipate tuition refunds if Westminster has to curtail or discontinue in-person learning and transition to a virtual environment. We believe that this approach is in the best long-term interest of our students as it allows Westminster to be ready for either alternative and preserves resources for the future when we have moved beyond the pandemic. 

We encourage families who are considering the possibility of withdrawing to purchase tuition insurance at the rate of $148.00 for pre-first through fifth grade and $169.00 for sixth through twelfth grade. Tuition insurance must be purchased prior to the first day of school and pays 60 percent of the prorated share of unused tuition after 14 days of enrollment.  For more information regarding tuition insurance, please contact Accounts Receivable Manager Laurie Hyde at lauriehyde@westminster.net.

While our community has safely returned to on-campus learning, localized outbreaks of COVID-19 could impact our activities in the future. In the event that we must close, all students will continue learning via Virtual Westminster. It is also possible that one group or division may need to close temporarily, with those students continuing via Virtual Westminster, while other divisions remain running on campus. Whether on-campus or in Virtual Westminster, we remain committed to the strength of the Westminster experience.