UNM refunds students for housing, meal plans amid pandemic

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Since the University of New Mexico students had to move out of their dorms earlier than expected this semester, the university has been sending out refunds. Students are getting credit toward any outstanding balance they have for housing and meal plans. If they were already all paid up, then they are getting a refund.

“Of course we wanted to correct that on their Bursar’s accounts and, so, made every effort to expedite that quickly and were able to do so by the week ending on April 3,” said Cinnamon Blair, UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.

Students still have to pay tuition because they are continuing their education online. However, most students moved out of the dorms three or four weeks ago to practice social distancing. UNM said it is pro-rating the cost of housing by day. Students should get credit toward their housing payments from the day they checked out of the dorms to the end of the semester in mid-May.

UNM is treating meal plans similarly so that students will not pay for the last, roughly two months of the semester when they obviously are not able to eat on campus.

“We miss our students,” Blair said. “I think that everybody’s had a lot of challenges, and we’re really doing the best we can to keep connected to our students and their families.”

UNM said the housing and meal plan refunds amount to about $3.6 million in total. Students getting a refund should get the whole refund all at once. It won’t come in installments.

If you are looking at your account and things don’t quite add up, or you have questions, UNM said to reach out to the Bursar’s Office. Students can chat with them by going to studentinfo.unm.edu or they can call at 505-277-5363. The university was also offering pro-rated refunds for parking passes but that deadline has already passed.