LOS ANGELES – For most of his time at Loyola Marymount University Brendan Maclaren had long hair.

Theatre arts major Maclaren grew it out for a production of Hair. Now a second semester senior he’s cut it short again, one small change among many bigger ones.

“It honestly breaks my heart. I wish that I can be a part of all the things that I was excited for that are now taken away from all of us,” said Maclaren.

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Maclaren is on track to graduate in May, but his big family celebration had to be canceled. He’s from northern California and when school told people to leave campus he drove five and a half hours to be with family. He had to come back to his off-campus Westchester apartment because teaching is his only source of income right now.

“I needed to come back because I have a chance to finally make money again, but it was hard leaving my family knowing that the world around us isn’t right at this moment,” said Maclaren.

Justus Johnson is on the other end. He’s finishing his freshman year at Pepperdine. He’s from Tennessee and without financial help from his school he wouldn’t have been able to fly home when campus closed.

That’s not all the money he’s getting. Johnson is expecting some money back for room and board and the meal plan he can’t use.

“Pepperdine is a very expensive school to go to in general and so to know you’re getting some money back and that they are caring for their students and trying to provide that financial assistance in whatever way they can is definitely endearing,“ said Johnson.

Schools are handling refunds differently.

LMU sent this emailed statement:

“The university will offer prorated credits or refunds for housing and parking for the remainder of the 2020 spring semester. Additionally, LMU is working with our dining services partner to offer partial credits or refunds. The university is not offering tuition refunds, as we continue to deliver our first-rate education from our highly-esteemed faculty through this crisis. To provide flexibility as students transition to remote learning, the university has extended the deadline for students to change their grade option or withdraw from a course to May 1, the last day of classes.”

Pepperdine also sent a statement:

  • Housing: Students who have on-campus housing will receive a prorated refund based on their date of departure. Proration estimates for the housing options at each of Pepperdine's five schools can be found here (https://community.pepperdine.edu/housing/housingduringcovid-19.htm).
  • Meals: Students will receive a refund for any unused meal points.
  • Tuition: No refunds to tuition will be made as a result of the shift to remote instruction. 

 

 

 

There is a petition online demanding LMU do more, though this isn’t how Johnson nor Maclaren feel.

“Please know that this is not the end of the world. This is just a small hiccup in the beauty that’s going to be our life,” said Maclaren.

Four years of work and it’ll end without pomp nor circumstance.