ECSI Settlement: $6.5 Million, Claim Deadline December 21, 2026
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File by December 21, 2026 · 61 days left · as of Oct 21, 2026
Educational Computer Systems, Inc. (ECSI, also known as Heartland ECSI) is the company many colleges use to produce student tax forms and service student loans. Its website was attacked between October 29, 2023 and February 12, 2024. ECSI has agreed to a $6.5 million settlement covering about 2,577,994 people. Claims are open: file by December 21, 2026 for up to $5,000 in documented losses or an estimated $100 cash payment.
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Can I Still File?
The claim deadline, what the settlement pays and where to file — plus other settlements still taking claims.
File by Dec 21 · 61 days left
ECSI Settlement
Fund: $6.5 million
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We are not a claims administrator and not affiliated with any settlement. File only at the official settlement website — filing is always free.
What the Lawsuit Says Happened
ECSI generates tax forms for colleges and universities — the Form 1098-T tuition statement and the Form 1098-E student loan interest statement — and handles student loan and receivables work for them. You probably never chose ECSI; your school did.
The consolidated complaint alleges that ECSI’s “guest tax search” feature let anyone pull up a tax form without logging in, and that criminals used it from October 29, 2023 to February 12, 2024, going unnoticed for about four months.
Per the court’s preliminary approval order, the data potentially involved includes names, addresses, email addresses, school names, internal ECSI identifiers, dollar amounts (tuition paid, scholarships or grants, student loan interest paid), the last four digits of Social Security numbers and, in limited cases, full Social Security numbers. ECSI denies all wrongdoing, and the court has not decided for either side.
Case details
Hood, et al. v. Educational Computer Systems, Inc., No. 2:24-cv-00666-CCW, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, before Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. The first complaint was filed on May 3, 2024. On July 1, 2024 the court consolidated it with Golec (No. 2:24-cv-00699) and Taylor (No. 2:24-cv-00903); a consolidated amended complaint followed on September 13, 2024. After mediation with Jill Sperber of Judicate West, the parties told the court on October 9, 2025 that they had a tentative deal. The court granted preliminary approval on August 5, 2026. Official site: DataSettlementECSI.com.
Status: Claims Open, Final Approval Pending
Nothing has been paid yet. Under the notice, payments go out only after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved, so no payment date exists. For our analysis of what the fund realistically pays per claimant, see our ECSI settlement news report.
Don't miss the claim deadline
Claims are due by December 21, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Who Can File an ECSI Settlement Claim
The class is “all Persons residing within the United States whose Personal Information was potentially accessed in the Security Incident.” The court order puts that at about 2,577,994 people — mostly current and former students and borrowers whose schools used ECSI for tax forms.
The practical test is your notice. The court ordered notice by email where ECSI has an address, otherwise by mail. To file online you enter the ID and confirmation code from that notice. Not sure whether you are included? Call the administrator at 1-877-726-4268 or use the official site.
What the ECSI Settlement Pays
Documented losses, up to $5,000. Unreimbursed losses more likely than not caused by the breach, incurred between October 29, 2023 and December 21, 2026 — bank fees, postage, per-minute phone charges, local travel, and credit reports or monitoring you paid for. You need real documents such as bank statements or receipts; handwritten receipts alone are rejected.
Alternative cash payment, estimated at about $100. No proof required, but the amount rises or falls pro rata with the number of approved claims.
Class counsel may ask for fees and costs of up to one-third of the fund ($2,166,666.66), plus $2,500 service awards for each named plaintiff. Both come out of the fund before claimants are paid. Money left 180 days after payment goes to a second distribution if each would get at least $5; otherwise it goes to a court-approved cy pres recipient. To estimate your own share, try the data breach settlement calculator.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 118,291 other personal injury casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2026, 3.9% of them filed as class actions:
- 39.6% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 14% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 39.6% and 53.6%.
- 5.7% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 109 reached a trial (0.9%), after a median of 23.9 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 9 months.
- Only 802 of them (0.7%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $537,500.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other personal injury cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
ECSI Settlement Timeline
October 29, 2023 – February 12, 2024 — The Attack
Criminals access ECSI’s website. The complaint alleges they used a guest tax-form lookup that required no login.
May 3, 2024 — First Lawsuit
Hood v. Educational Computer Systems is filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Two more suits follow and are consolidated on July 1, 2024.
October 9, 2025 — Tentative Settlement
After mediation that started August 19, 2025, the parties tell the court they have reached a tentative agreement.
August 5, 2026 — Preliminary Approval
Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand preliminarily approves the $6.5 million settlement and orders notice to the class.
November 20, 2026 — Opt-Out and Objection Deadline
Last day to exclude yourself (by mail, postmarked) or to object. The claim deadline follows on December 21, 2026.
January 11, 2027 — Final Approval Hearing
The court decides whether to grant final approval. Payments begin only after approval and any appeals.
Three Things to Watch For
The leaked records include school names and tuition or loan-interest amounts, which makes ECSI-themed scams sound convincing:
Messages quoting your tuition or loan interest
Someone who has your 1098-T or 1098-E data can cite your school and real dollar amounts. Knowing those details does not make a caller or email legitimate.
Lookalike claim sites and “release fees”
The only official site is DataSettlementECSI.com. Filing is free. A page asking for a fee, a bank login or a card number to “release” your $100 is not part of this settlement.
“Heartland ECSI” payment demands
ECSI also collects past-due student accounts for colleges, so real ECSI billing exists alongside settlement notices. Do not pay a balance from a link in an unexpected email; log in to your school or ECSI account directly, or call your school’s bursar.
ECSI Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
What is ECSI (ecsi.net)?
Educational Computer Systems, Inc. is a vendor that provides financial services to colleges and universities, including tax document services (Forms 1098-T and 1098-E), student loan servicing and past-due accounts receivable. The court describes it as a student loan and tax servicing vendor. Your school, not you, was its customer.
What is the ECSI settlement amount?
The fund is $6.5 million. Each claimant chooses either reimbursement of documented losses up to $5,000 or an alternative cash payment estimated at about $100, adjusted pro rata to the number of approved claims.
What is the deadline to file an ECSI settlement claim?
December 21, 2026, online at DataSettlementECSI.com or by mail postmarked by that date. The deadline to opt out or object is November 20, 2026.
Do you actually get money from class action settlements?
Only if you file a valid claim by the deadline and the court grants final approval. In this case the final approval hearing is January 11, 2027, and payments follow approval and any appeals. If you do nothing, you get nothing and still give up your right to sue ECSI over the breach.
When will ECSI settlement payments be sent?
As of October 2026 there is no payment date. The notice says payments are made after the settlement is approved and becomes final, which comes after any appeals are resolved. Updates are posted on the official settlement site.
Is the ECSI settlement email or letter real?
The court ordered notice by email where an address is on file and by mail otherwise, so a notice may be genuine. Check it by typing DataSettlementECSI.com into your browser yourself, or calling 1-877-726-4268, rather than clicking a link. Filing is free.
Is there a class action lawsuit against student loans?
Not this one. The ECSI settlement concerns a data breach only. It does not change, reduce or forgive any student loan balance, and it has nothing to do with loan forgiveness programs. Questions about your loan go to your loan servicer or your school.
What is worth doing right now?
If you got a notice, file a claim before December 21, 2026 and keep the notice. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus — it is free and reversible. Some records included full Social Security numbers, so watch for tax returns filed in your name.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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