COLLEGE CONNECTION
Americans can claim direct payment up to $5,000 from $1.5m data breach settlement and you only need one piece of proof
Data breaches have sparked a number of settlements across the country
STUDENTS and their families may qualify for up to $5,000 cash out of a $1.5 million class action settlement.
The payments are coming from a $1.5 million pot as a result of a college data breach.
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Hope College, a Michigan liberal arts college, agreed to the payments in order to settle claims it failed to adequately protect student data.
The suit came after an unauthorized individual managed to access data.
That may include names, dates of birth, license numbers, student ID numbers, and Social Security numbers, according to the settlement website.
The school began notifying impacted students about the breach in December 2022.
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Hope college did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
The deadline for those impacted to file a claim is May 7, 2024.
CLAIM OPTIONS
There are multiple ways to claim, depending on how the data breach impacted you.
If you are a class member, you can opt to be paid in the form of a year of credit monitoring services.
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Alternatively, you can get cash if you have proof of expenses.
Any documented expenses that may have been caused by the data breach, like private credit monitoring or any other identity theft protection.
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Losses taken on or after September 27, 2022 are eligible for reimbursement.
The maximum amount of documented expenses you can claim is $5,000.
A third option is to take a “pro rata” cash payment.
This means that you will get a sum of money without having to itemize expenses caused by the data breach.
The amount sent out to those choosing this option will depend on how many people file claims.
Claims can be filed online.
What's a class-action settlement?
Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or 'classes,' a way to band together in court.
These suits are often brought by one or a few people who allege a company or other entity has wronged a large group of people.
When a suit becomes a class action, it extends to all "class members," or people who may have similar complaints to those who filed the suit.
Companies often settle class actions - offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue further legal action by accepting money.
These payout agreements frequently include statements by the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.
Pollution, discrimination, or false advertising are a few examples of what can land a class action on a company's doorstep.
MORE CLASS ACTIONS
While colleges can be pushed to pay up over data breaches, such settlements are common in healthcare.
Personal Touch Holding Corp., a Delaware-based health firm, is paying out $7,500.
To qualify, you must meet two criteria.
Wright & Filippis, a prosthetic device company, is paying $2.9 million after a medical data breach.
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Five Guys is also paying money after a data breach.
An insurance settlement is paying Americans $13.5 million.