Institutions face unique legal risks when dismissing students from professional programs

Increasing tuition, significant potential income, and the prevalence of a consumer mindset create a high‐stakes combination for professional students. Any time an institution of higher education dismisses a student for academic reasons, it faces legal risks. However, those risks are enhanced when the dismissals involve students in graduate programs or programs with high earning potential, such as the medical field. Students often pay high tuition for such programs and therefore tend to expect a refund if they’re dismissed. More critically, a dismissal may irreparably impact a student's earning potential.