Up to $8,500 per Person To Be Handed Out by Ivy League University After Data Breach That Impacted 2,973,631 People

Nearly three million people may qualify for payments of up to $8,500 each under a data breach settlement tied to a major university cyberattack.

Columbia University has agreed to pay $16,125,000 to settle a class action lawsuit over the May of 2025 attack on its network, the settlement website says.

The case is In re Columbia University Data Breach Litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The class covers U.S. residents whose private information was compromised in the attack and who were sent a notice about it. Columbia estimates there are 2,973,631 class members.

The stolen data included Social Security numbers, financial details, medical information and academic histories.

Class members with documents showing losses from the attack can get reimbursed up to $8,500. Others can instead choose an alternative cash payment, which will be a share of what is left in the fund after attorneys’ fees, administration costs and other expenses are paid.

Everyone who files can also get two years of free three-bureau credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, up to $1 million in identity theft insurance and identity recovery services.

Columbia denies any wrongdoing but has committed to keep added security measures in place for three years.

The deadline to file a claim is January 21st, 2027. The deadline to opt out or object is December 22nd, 2026.

A final approval hearing is set for February 23rd, 2027.

The Daily Hodl previously reported on the breach in August of 2025.

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The post Up to $8,500 per Person To Be Handed Out by Ivy League University After Data Breach That Impacted 2,973,631 People appeared first on The Daily Hodl.