Thousands of former students have joined a Student Group Claim alleging they paid for in‑person university experiences that were curtailed by pandemic lockdowns. Pre‑action letters target 36 institutions, citing lost studio access, lab time and other hands‑on components that students say were not adequately replaced. Universities now face a mix of reputation risk, potential litigation costs, and calls for targeted remediation. Legal teams and administrators are preparing for protracted negotiations or court actions; some institutions have signaled willingness to review individual cases while defending their pandemic-era choices under unprecedented public‑health constraints.