Syracuse University will reimburse students who finish classes online after returning from SU Abroad’s suspended program in Florence, Italy.

The university suspended its Florence program Feb. 25 amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, a respiratory disease also known as COVID-19. The virus has infected nearly 90,000 people across 67 countries and has killed more than 3,000. Italy has confirmed 1,694 cases of the virus and 34 deaths.

Students in the Florence program will not return to Main Campus until after spring break to comply with a two-week quarantine guideline from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Spring break ends March 22.

Students who finish the semester online without returning to Main Campus will receive a refund this month ranging from $1,700 to $2,100, according to an email sent to students in the program. The exact refund will depend on the students’ housing arrangements in Florence.

An additional refund may be applied for any non-housing or meal elements that have not been used, the email said. The university will also provide free housing and meals to students who return to campus for the remainder of the semester.

Students can request their refunds on MySlice, the email said.

“We recognize how disappointed you must be about the suspension of Syracuse University Florence,” the email read. “And we understand that you are interested in the associated financial implications of this very difficult decision.”

SU is prepared to suspend additional abroad programs in response to the virus, the university announced Wednesday. The university is also creating a cautionary plan for students to complete the spring semester online should SU suspend on-campus classes.

Published on March 3, 2020 at 12:05 am

Contact Sarah: scalessa@syr.edu | @sarahalessan